When Jennifer Howard lost her son Robert Cunningham to a fentanyl overdose in May 2016 at age 24, she was devastated.
After learning he had hid his heroin use, and had been using for only seven months before his death, she began to realize how widespread drug overdoses are in B.C.
Howard, who helped organize Thursday’s International Overdose Awareness Day event at Centennial Square, was among hundreds of people from all walks of life who had a good reason for being there.
“I lost the ability to help Robby, so for me, going forward, being an advocate and a voice for others, and making sure change happens is important,” said Howard, a member of the group Moms Stop the Harm.
“It’s time to honour and remember every individual who has been lost this way,” she said. “It’s time to speak up about this.”
Drug users, social-justice advocates, outreach workers, first responders and others had much to say about topics such as misconceptions about addiction and the impact of misplaced judgment.
Before an evening rally and vigil got underway, participants lined up for crash courses on how to administer naloxone, a medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
“What interests me is how eager people are to learn about it,” said Ross Nicholls, a St. John Ambulance volunteer and Our Place Society’s overdose-prevention site staffer.
“As long as people keep their cool, the process is fairly simple,” he said.
“This aligned with what we’re taking in school, and it’s important to know because there’s obviously a crisis,” said Camosun College nursing student Layton Driedger, 25.
An outreach worker with SOLID (Society of Living Illicit Drug Users) said it’s thanks to people reacting quickly with naloxone kits to revive users, and fast response by paramedics, that more lives are being saved.
“This is an epidemic, and it’s vital people become aware of what’s going on in the streets of Victoria,” she said.
“People are dropping daily from fentanyl. It’s in every drug, even in marijuana.”
Judy Darcy, B.C.’s minister of mental health and addictions, said she heard heartbreaking stories at the event from parents of youths at risk, and complaints about the lack of access to youth treatment in Victoria.
“What is really hopeful is that so many people have come together to learn how to administer naloxone and save lives,” Darcy said. “It really will take a community to overcome this overdose crisis.”
