Helping kids understand the facts about opioids

Health Canada’s ‘Know More’ awareness tour makes stop in Sudbury highlighting the harms of opioid use to students. Matt Ingram reports.

A national awareness campaign, called Know More, aimed at teaching kids about the dangers of opioid use wrapped up a two-day visit to Sudbury on Tuesday.

An interactive display at College Boreal saw high school and college students learning about types of opioids, the signs of an overdose, and other useful things to know.

"We want to educate the youth in regards to the potential harms that can come with the use of substances." said Chantal Belanger, a public health nurse.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts partnered with Health Canada, the local school boards, and other community groups to bring the tour to the city.

It's all in an effort to support the education aim of Public Health's community drug strategy.

"Public Health and GSPS have been kind of putting it together to move it forward into the community to create more awareness." said Belanger.

Students learned about the anti-overdose medication Naloxone and explored interactive stations, learning about opioids and overdoses.

Public health nurses working with the school boards say students need to know more.

"Working in the school communities, we do know that there is misinformation and a lack of information and knowledge about the risks associated with opioid use and the misuse of substances." said Sylvie Patenaude-Renaud, public health nurse.

Health Canada says opioids misuse and abuse led to about 4,000 overdose deaths last year, an epidemic that has affected Sudbury.

"In 2016, we did have 17 deaths that did occur that were related to opioids. And then in 2017, we had 34 deaths, of course preliminary information." said Belanger.

The local Public Health team says the rise in overdose deaths is why awareness efforts like this one are needed.

It is planning more campaigns over the coming year.