For 25 years, International Overdose Awareness Day has brought people together to remember those who have died and to take action to save lives. A number of people have gathered for a march from Barrie’s Spirit Catcher to City Hall on Monday in an attempt to raise awareness for the overdose crisis. The day is considered one of the most important campaigns of its kind of the year and marches like the one planned in downtown Barrie are happening across the country. Joe Capone is a recovering addict who helps others self heal. Capone says addiction is often hidden and silent. “Society looks for how you look and just the fact on how someone looks, but a lot of people, they wear suits and ties. They are ministers in churches, they are people of the community, they are suffering, and they suffer in silence,” says Capone. Capone says there is more help available than ever before, but knows the number of people overdosing continues to rise. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) says its numbers show a decline in reported overdoses since the pandemic, but an increase of last year. “Our baseline for deaths is two per week and our baseline for emergency room visits over the last several weeks has been 25, so that is slightly elevated,” says Cathy Eisener with the SMDHU. The health unit says events like the one in Barrie are important to bring the issue to the forefront. “Just bring home the idea that we are talking about people, it’s the 25-year anniversary of National Overdose Awareness Day, 25 years that this has been going on as a memorial event and the fact that we even still need it and that things are worse than they were 25 years ago is something to bring to the forefront,” says Eisener. York Regional police have launched their own drug overdose awareness and recovery campaign this week. “The opioid crisis has been going on since 2016, but there is still need for awareness and education, keeping in mind about stigma there are various treatment and prevention and recovery,” says Insp. Meredith Woodland with York Regional police. “All of those things are important and it’s not just the police that can solve this - it’s a community thing.” Organizers say people are marching for support rooted in care and education and not fear and hate.
