A photo of Royal Inland Hospital's purple lit walkway in 2019. (Image Credit: Interior Health)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

OVERDOSE AWARENESS

Kamloops showing support during International Overdose Awareness Day

Aug 30, 2020 | 11:55 AM

KAMLOOPS — Tomorrow (Aug. 31) marks International Overdose Awareness Day, and while large in-person gatherings won’t be held this year in Kamloops, there are still ways to show support.

The global events aims to raise awareness of overdose, reduce the stigma around drug use and acknowledge that people who use substances come from all walks of life, and spread the message that overdose deaths are preventable.

British Columbia has grappled with an overdoses crisis since 2016, and the public health emergency continues to rage in 2020. Recently, B.C recorded 175 illicit drug overdose deaths in July – which is the third consecutive month of more than 170 overdose deaths in the province. Kamloops has already surpassed 2019’s overdose fatality total of 26. In the first seven months of 2020, there have been 32 suspected overdose deaths in the city.

In order to combat the shame and stigma surrounding substance use, the Addiction Matters Kamloops coalition has been working to improve the language used to describe people who use drugs.

The Every Word Matters pledge is focused on reducing the stigma and discrimination that may make people reluctant to access treatment or support for their addictions. The coalition is asking community members to take the pledge and use person-first language when talking about someone who uses substances. (A link to the pledge page can be found here)

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Addiction Matters Kamloops, Moms Stop the Harm, and family members impacted by an overdose death have also hung purple ribbons throughout the city’s downtown area to remember those who lost their lives to substance use.

As another visual mark of support on Monday, Interior Health says Royal Inland Hospital will again be using purple lighting in its pedestrian walkway.