Lives can be saved by reducing the stigma around drug overdose and making an overdose-reversing drug more readily available, according to people at a rally in downtown Ottawa Friday.
The rally, held before Sunday’s International Overdose Awareness Day, commemorated 32 people killed by drug overdoses in Ottawa over the last year by laying out 32 pairs of shoes on the Human Rights Monument.
Sean Leblanc survived his opiate addiction "by the skin of my teeth," and he's seen too many friends fall victim to their own personal demons to stand idly by.
"Many of us here have lost friends and family members, people we love and respect, and I think we as a country and a community can do better," said Leblanc, chair of the Drug Users Advocacy League, leading a rally on Parliament Hill Sunday to voice support for bringing supervised injection sites to Ottawa.
"I know from having been there, people don't want to be sticking a needle in their arm every day, and we need to be providing the support and love and services and basic access to care so that they can make positive changes in their lives."
People calling for a supervised injection site in Ottawa brought their message to Parliament Hill Sunday afternoon.
They rallied in support of a clean and safe centre for drug-users in the Capital, a place they say can reduce the spread of disease and prevent deadly overdoses.
"Just to have a warm, clean place available, clean needles to use...people will be able to inject in areas that are much safer for them," said Dr. Mark Tyndall, head of Infectious Disease at the Ottawa Hospital.
CBC Ottawa reports on the rally for supervised consumption sites held March 23 on Parliament Hill. 100 supporters showed up to call on city health officials to join them in leading the push for a medically supervised facility for drug users in Ottawa.
Un groupe de citoyens en faveur de la mise en place d'un centre d'injection supervisée à Ottawa se sont rassemblés sur la colline du Parlement dimanche après-midi. Ils déplorent l'inaction de Santé publique Ottawa qui ne s'est toujours pas prononcée sur ce dossier.
Selon les organisateurs de la maniferstion, des surdoses surviennent quotidiennement dans les rues d'Ottawa et sont responsables de deux décès par mois. Le CSCS Ottawa (Campaign for Safer Consumption) soutient aussi qu'à Ottawa, le taux d'infection au VIH est le plus élevé de la province et que celui d'hépatite C est le plus élevé au pays.
Add your voice to the many others that are speaking out against Bill C-2 — a bill that will make it harder, if not impossible, for communities to provide needed health services including supervised consumption services. Please share this important video with your friends and family.
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Donna May shared the moving story of her daughter Jac's struggle with drug addiction, and the belief that a supervised injection site could have saved her life, at the 9/30 event in Ottawa last week.
Dr. Mark Tyndall, Head of Infectious Diseases at the Ottawa Hospital, speaks out for supervised injection sites in Ottawa at an event to mark the second anniversary of the Supreme Court decision on Insite.
A compelling call to action for a proven medical service that would improve the health of people who use drugs, and benefit the entire community.
