Overdose Prevention

NEW Research from Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

The Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council is pleased to provide new research featuring people who consume unregulated drugs and lack stable housing. Highlighting the intersection of multiple opportunities for improving both individual and community health, safety, and well-being, the evidence and local findings suggest immediate and cost-effective benefits for individuals, communities, not-for-profit, public, and private sectors. More information is included in our Safe Supply Report below and our (Un)Safe Infographics. Feel free to share our infographics!

WRCPC_FocusOn_Safe_Supply_Report | (Un)Safe Comparison Infographic | (Un)Safe Summary Infographic | WRCPC_-_Issues_of_Substance_Final_Report_2022

Webinar Recordings

Issues of Substance: Prohibition, Decriminalization, and Legalization with Strict Regulation

Wednesday, March 16th | 10:00AM (recording)

Official Release: Issues of Substance

The Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council has endorsed legalization with strict regulation as the best drug policy option. Join WRCPC’s Michael Parkinson along with:

• Irene O’toole, Vice Chair, WRCPC
• Ruth Cameron, Executive Director, ACCKWA*
• Judah Oudshoorn, Professor
• Sara Escobar, Peregrine Outreach
• Jesse Burt, Harm reduction/outreach, ACCKWA*

* Aids Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and area

WRCPC has endorsed legalization with strict regulation as the best drug policy option to immediately and dramatically improve health and safety for all residents of Canada, prevent tens of thousands of drug poisoning deaths and injuries annually, and, provide financial savings to the public, non-profit, and private sector budgets. Short presentations were followed by a question period, with journalists first, and audience members second.

(Re)Think Prohibition: Reducing Criminalization and Advancing Equity in Canadian Drug Policy

Tuesday, February 1st | 7:00-9:30pm (recording)

ReThink Prohibition Image Join esteemed leaders from civil society and municipal government in a discussion of their upstream efforts to improve everyone’s health, safety and well-being with drug laws and policies grounded in equity, and built for the 21st century.

Featuring guests from the Canadian HIV/Aids Legal Network, the Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs and more! Moderated by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council’s Michael Parkinson, join panellists Sandra Ka Hon Chu (Canadian HIV/Aids Legal Network), Natasha Touesnard (Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs), and Alicia Neufeld (City of Toronto Public).

This event was part of our UPstream Speaker Series, click here to learn more.

The following webinars are suitable for:

– People currently, or recently, regularly consuming unregulated substances and/or lacking stable housing within Waterloo region
– People personally affected by the drug poisoning crisis
– People working within the shelter system and/or with people who use unregulated drugs in Waterloo region
– Policy makers, funders, clinicians, managers and direct service workers with an interest in advancing the health and safety of people who lack stable housing and use unregulated substances in Waterloo region.

(Un)Safe 3.0 Webinar:
Integrating overdose prevention sites, safe supply, and wrap-around services in shelter settings
June 2021 (recording)

Do you work with or on behalf of people who consume unregulated drugs and lack stable housing in Waterloo region? Regularly consume unregulated drugs, or are directly affected by the poisoned marketplace?

The WRCPC and ACCKWA were pleased to welcome colleagues Gab Laurence and Dana Luchsinger from Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre for their valuable insights gleaned from their integrated efforts to prevent and/or reduce harm to people using unregulated drugs and surviving in shelter and hotel settings throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s no small thing!

Key activities, successes and challenges shared in this presentation and dialogue include: onsite overdose prevention sites in shelter settings via the Urgent Public Health Need Sites (UPHNS) exemption, safe supply services, COVID-19 recovery services, complimentary wrap-around health and social services.

(UN)SAFE Webinar: Reducing the harms of the criminalization, acquisition, and consumption of unregulated drugs
April 20, 2021 (recording)

Do you work in Waterloo Region with, or on behalf of, people who purchase and consume unregulated drugs? Do you use unregulated drugs? Join us for fresh insight and new opportunities grounded in recent local research.

An estimated 145 people died from drug poisoning in the Waterloo region in 2020. The unregulated drug markets remain toxic, unsafe, and unhealthy – and a leading cause of acute deaths. Issues of criminalization, acquisition and consumption are foundational to assist life and death decisions for funders, service providers, policymakers and others.

This webinar shares insight from people who purchase and consume unregulated drugs and lack stable housing, highlighting the intersection of opportunities for improving both individual and community health, safety, and well-being. Safe supply, accidental poisoning, crime, victimization, housing and shelter issues feature in this local webinar and conversation. The local research suggests that removing criminalization and replacing the toxic, unregulated market through ‘safe supply’ initiatives can provide immediate and cost-effective benefits for individuals, communities, not-for-profit, public, and private sectors.

This event is recommended for people working in areas of substance use and addiction, clinical and public health, shelters, outreach, policy-making, systems transformation, and funding.

Good News For Good Samaritans (2018)

An overdose is a medical emergency. Seconds matter.

Across Canada, a fatal opioid-related poisoning occurs every 2 hours. Ontario’s opioid-related poisonings grew 33% in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act addresses some of the structural barriers to seeking emergency medical assistance by providing limited immunity from prosecution during an overdose emergency for victims and witnesses.

Please join with the Canadian HIV/Aids Legal Network and the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council in expanding awareness about the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act by sharing the print and film resources.

Watch: Good News For Good Samaritans (Canada, 2018)

Watch: Public Service Announcement (Canada, 2018)

Fact Sheet: Good News for Good-Samaritans-eng-print | Fact Sheet: Good News for Good-Samaritans-fr-print

Wallet Card in French and English

Drug Strategy:

The Integrated Drugs Strategy provides a road map of where we want to go and how we plan to get there.

Problematic substance use affects people’s lives and our communities. The Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy aims to make Waterloo Region safer and healthier.

It offers 99 recommendations to prevent, reduce or eliminate 2012-WRIDS-FINAL problematic substance use and its consequences. The actions recommend change through:

Prevention
Recovery & Rehabilitation
Harm Reduction
Enforcement & Justice

The strategy was developed in 2011 by a 26-member Task Force of the Crime Prevention Council in consultation with more than 300 citizens and service providers across Waterloo Region.

For more information visit the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy website