August 31st marks International Overdose Awareness Day. Since 2001, people from around the world take this day to commemorate those who have been lost to drug overdose. Thousands of events are held to commemorate this day.
With the recent announcement to close 10 of the 17 Safe Consumption Sites in Ontario this day not only mourns those who we have lost, but also the unnecessary loss of those in the future. It is no secret the closure of the SCS will result in more preventable overdose deaths in Toronto. We at Breakaway stand in solidarity with those who use substances. We do not agree with this policy change, and strongly encourage others to write letters and call Syliva Jones and Doug Ford to advocate for a change in this policy. We will fight for harm reduction methods and safe consumption sites, as we believe everyone deserves to be met with love and compassion.
We encourage everyone to take this day to express all the pain, anger, grief, and sadness you are feeling. There are multiple events happening in Toronto on Saturday August 31st for IOAD, please see our Instagram for information about these events. As harm reduction workers, community support, friends, and family know change can be made. Let’s not forget about the power we have on the grassroots level to create change and hope for the future.