In April 2023, more people died in Alberta of a toxic drug poisoning than in any single month on record. Alberta’s substance use surveillance system report showed that 179 people died of drug poisoning, with 76 of those deaths in April happening in Calgary.

Individuals turn to illicit opioids for many different reasons and face potential harms associated with these substances when they aren’t sourced from a safe place. The CUPS Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) is a program for people who want to reduce their dependence on illicit opioids through the use medications such as methadone, suboxone or Kadian as part of their recovery. 

International Overdose Awareness Day is Aug. 31

International Overdose Awareness Day is a global campaign to end overdose and remove the stigma around those who have died from drug poisonings. The focus for 2023 is to “recognize those people who go unseen,” considering those who have been affected by the global opioid crisis but might not be highly visible.

The CUPS Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) team is supported by an outreach-based team funded by Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addiction Program. The outreach-based OAT navigators connect with people in the community to improve care delivery options for populations that have not benefitted from other healthcare models. The team has been able to connect with individuals who are accessing toxic opioids to services including case management, primary care, housing support and OAT. Between 2022 and March 2023, the OAT outreach team has interacted with 740 individuals.

Join us at Central Memorial Park

 CUPS will be on-site at Central Memorial Park on Thursday, August 31 for the community event to raise awareness and share more about locally-based resources available to support the opioid poisoning crisis.

 In addition to community resource tables, there will be guest speakers, live entertainment, free haircuts, food trucks, harm reduction supplies, STBBI testing, naloxone and more.

The event starts at 11 am on August 31. This event is an opportunity to gather and show support for the people who continue to fight for survival while coping with tremendous losses within their community. 

We can prevent drug poisoning. By sharing accurate information about drugs and providing comprehensive education to the community on how to respond if someone is experiencing a drug poisoning, we have the power to save lives.