Shame, stigma contributing to overdose deaths, says advocate

A Victoria advocate says that if we want to reduce the number of overdose deaths, we needs to reduce the stigma around hard drug use.

Katie Lacroix, chair of the Society of Living Illicit Drug Users, says the shame of being a drug user keeps many away from life-saving services like take-home Naloxone and other forms of harm reduction, which could save their lives.

"People don't necessarily feel like they're safe to speak out," she said. "You might lose your job. There's the potential you could lose your children if you go to seek support for these sorts of things."

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Lacroix has been a hard drug user herself, and lived on the streets for a time. She said it wasn't until she became better connected with supportive people in her community that she was able to start turning her life around.

Overdose deaths 'frustrating'

Lacroix says she has lost numerous friends to overdoses over the years, including one friend who died while doing drugs alone in a bathroom.

She says that while any senseless death is a devastating loss for friends and loved ones of the deceased, overdose deaths are particularly frustrating because they are so preventable.

Aug. 31 was International Overdose Awareness Day, and she hopes it sparked a larger conversation about overdose deaths.

"This is our opportunity to be the voice of those people we've lost, we can advocate and make sure we don't lose any more loved ones," she said.

"No one should have to live a life of shame and stigma, and no one should have to die that way."

In her own community of Victoria, Lacroix hopes that one day advocacy could lead to supervised drug consumption to make life saver for those addicted to drugs.

To hear the full interview, click on the audio labelled:Reduce shame and stigma to reduce OD deaths, advocate says