ESPANOLA—Espanola City Council recently proclaimed August Drug Awareness Month, and at a flag raising event to bring awareness to the issue, Carol Hughes, MP for Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing (AMK), spoke about the importance of dealing with the opioid crisis with understanding and compassion.
“I am grateful to Espanola Mayor Doug Gervais and council’s recommendations to declare August Drug Awareness Month ahead of Overdose Awareness Day on August 31,” said MP Hughes in a release. “The opioid crisis has hit Northern Ontario harder than other parts of the country. In 2022, the six public health units that reported the highest per capita opioid-related deaths were all in Northern Ontario. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the crisis and need to take a health-based approach to ensure we are saving lives and getting people the help they need.”
In recent months, public health organizations have been sounding the alarm about increased opioid-related overdoses. The Porcupine Health Unit had mobilized a red alert last month due to increases in suspected opioid-related overdoses. Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) have issued warnings about increases in the number of drug poisonings (overdoses). Many health units are calling for better access to supervised consumption sites to reduce overdose deaths.
“Opioid addiction affects each and every one of us,” said MP Hughes. “Criminalizing addicts hasn’t stopped the crisis from spreading. We need to take a more compassionate approach and listen to those organizations who are on the front lines of the crisis to guide us. It’s a national problem that need a national strategy.”
