Loved ones of people addicted to drugs gathered in Sudbury on Saturday for International Overdose Awareness Day to highlight the challenges of finding help and the importance of showing compassion.
Nancy Joly is the mother of a person suffering from drug addiction.
It’s not easy, it’s frustrating, she said of seeking help.
She adds that there are organizations that help people addicted to drugs, but that the region needs more services, particularly for treatment.
Tina Gurtin, also a mother of someone living with addiction, says many people die while waiting for help.
We’re here to raise awareness about the drug problems that we see everywhere in our city now, not just downtown, adds Ms. Gurtin.
We don’t have the answers, we don’t have the solutions, but our hearts want to help.
A quote from Greater Sudbury resident Tina Gurtin
At the event, photos of several people who died from overdoses were placed on white crosses.
We hope to have more impact [avec les photos au lieu de juste mettre les noms]notes Nancy Joly.
Need funding for all stages of treatment
Paul-André Gauthier, a member of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, says there is a need for better support for people with addiction issues, especially when they are not yet ready for detox treatment.
You can’t push people into treatment if they’re not ready.
A quote from Paul-André Gauthier, member of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario
First, you have to develop trust, adds the nurse.
Mr. Gauthier emphasizes that supervised consumption centres, which the Doug Ford government does not include in its strategy to combat drug addiction, help establish this trust and guide clients towards services.
Sudbury NDP MPP Jamie West, who was also at the rally, said the Progressive Conservatives don’t seem to want to listen to the experts on supervised consumption.
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Several people, including Sudbury MPP Jamie West, marched to mark Overdose Awareness Day.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Ezra Belotte-Cousineau
Paul-André Gauthier notes that in the absence of harm reduction services, more people who use drugs end up in the emergency room, increasing the wait time for other patients.
He is calling on the province to take responsibility for health care and adequately fund services related to addiction treatment, including harm reduction.
With information from Ezra Belotte-Cousineau
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Rallies took place across Canada, including in Toronto.
Photo : Radio-Canada
