Lift Community Services is now offering free harm reduction and naloxone training sessions in the qathet region, to provide individuals, families and community groups with the knowledge and skills to respond to a toxic drug poisoning.
Lift is partnering with Powell River Public Library for its first session, offering a free evening workshop on Wednesday, July 23, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Registration is required via the library.
“We know there can be confusion about what harm reduction is and isn’t,” stated Cynthia Leighton, Lift’s community health manager, in a media release. “We’ve designed these one-hour workshops to be accessible and informative so community members can gain accurate information and the skills to respond to a toxic drug poisoning.”
Harm reduction – a phrase that broadly refers to public health measures aimed at reducing harms related to everyday activities but is increasingly used in the context of substance use – refers to interventions and supports to reduce risks associated with the use of unregulated substances, according to Lift.
Naloxone is a fast-acting medication used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid-induced toxic drug poisoning. It is readily available and simple to use. Workshop attendees will receive hands-on training to administer the medication, and naloxone kits to take home with them.
“Unregulated substance use is the number one cause of unnatural death for people between the ages of 10 and 59 in our province,” added Leighton, noting that toxic drug poisonings can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone – not just habitual or daily users. “There are countless examples of individuals using substances very occasionally or even for the first time and dying from toxic drug poisoning. At this point everyone should know how to use naloxone.”
Leighton stated that in recent months, Lift has been getting an increasing number of enquiries from community groups and businesses requesting naloxone training.
“An increased community interest in learning how to respond to toxic drug poisonings led us to launch these training sessions,” she added.
The inaugural training session at the library will be followed by another session at the new Community House/Community Resource Centre on Sunday, September 21.
The training is open to all community members and covers the basics of what harm reduction is and isn’t, contributing factors to the toxic drug crisis, and hands-on training in administering naloxone. To learn more or to request a training session for a local community group or business, go to liftcommunityservices.org/naloxone-training.
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