International Overdose Awareness Day is commemorated on August 31 across the globe. In Greyville, The Bellhaven Harm Reduction Centre is hosting a vigil to remember local community members who have been lost to overdose.
DRUG overdose impacts millions of people across the globe. Even more staggering is that most people who have experienced an overdose were with another person who could have helped them but was not able to.
According to Michael Wilson of Advance Access & Delivery (AA&D), about 20% of people who inject drugs experience a non-fatal drug overdose annually. “Globally, it is estimated that more than 100 000 people die from an opioid overdose each year. The number of fatal drug overdoses is increasing every year,” said Wilson.
He added that AA&D conducted a study in 2019 which was published this year in the Harm Reduction Journal.
ALSO READ: Extending methadone to the middle class
“We looked at the experience of an overdose for people who use drugs in three South African cities: Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria. We found that about one-third of people had experienced a drug overdose within a year. Seventy-six percent knew at least one person who had experienced a drug overdose in the last year, and about two-thirds of participants were with someone at the time of their overdose – seventy percent of them did not receive any help,” said Wilson.
Nursing sister Carla-Louise Horwood, who works at the Bellhaven Harm Reduction Centre, defined an overdose as having more of a drug, or combination of drugs, than the body can cope with. Naloxone is the drug used to revive people who have had an opioid overdose.
“Naloxone is administered as an injection. It reverses an overdose – it absorbs the drug in the person’s system, similar to how activated charcoal does. Naloxone also helps to clear the airways and clear blockages,” said Horwood.
Wilson added that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that naloxone be a routine part of community-based harm-reduction service provision.
“Some people call it the Lazarus drug because a person can seem to come back to life,” he said.
Wilson believes that Naloxone should be available to law enforcement, first responders and family members of people who use drugs.
“At Bellhaven, we are working closely with the Bellhaven Network of People Who Use Drugs to raise awareness about drug overdose and to train peers and community members on recognising the signs and symptoms of a drug overdose and equipping them with the knowledge and tools to respond. People usually aren’t alone when they overdose. Globally, people in public spaces, such as lay community members, are being trained on how to recognise and treat an overdose,” he said.
ALSO READ: Drug-free after a 15-year battle
Join the vigil
Bellhaven Harm Reduction Centre will host its third annual vigil on Wednesday.
“As International Overdose Awareness Day is commemorated, it is an important time for us to reflect and to remember those who have lost their lives as a result of a drug overdose. This is an opportunity for us to raise awareness. Often people who pass away from overdose are alone in death and do not receive the dignity they deserve,” said Wilson.
Anyone can attend the vigil at the centre from 17:00–18:00. The centre is located on the corner of Daly Road and First Avenue.
For more information on overdose signs, symptoms and treatment, read Overdose basics
For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram.
