“Our free event is an opportunity for everyone to engage with local services around overdosing – what it may look like and also what an individual can do if they think someone has overdosed,” Tim says.
It’s a day to raise awareness for an issue that’s felt, sometimes silently, by many in the community, says Salvation Army’s Overdose Prevention Practitioner Nicole Nowell.
“Educating the community about drugs and overdosing is a key component to the day, but it’s also a day about the insight grief and grace can bring people in the absence of a loved one,” Nicole says.
According to Australia’s Annual Overdose Report (2023), produced by Penington Institute, in 2021 there was 2,231 drug-induced deaths in Australia. On top of that, there is now the emerging threat of nitazenes – a synthetic and lethal drug which can be as potent, if not more potent, than fentanyl. It’s a drug you don’t want to mess with, Tim says.
“There seems to be no pattern in which drugs have been detected adulterated with nitazenes,” he says.
“So far, nitazenes have been found in cocaine, meth, synthetic cannabis, MDMA, counterfeit pharmaceuticals and heroin.”
But recent data shows a pattern of sorts: an increase in unintentional drug-induced deaths, with seven in 10 of these deaths involving two or more drug types. Understanding what to do when someone has overdosed has never been more critical, says Tim.
“You can overdose on drugs whether they are illicit or prescribed, and it’s preventable,” he says.
“Knowing where to get and how to use medication like Naloxone or Nyxoid can mean the difference between life or death.
“Naloxone and Nyxoid reverse an opioid overdose by blocking the body’s opioid receptors, which prevents whatever drug has been taken from working, allowing a person to breathe again.
“BCHS Mobile Needle Syringe Program (NSP) and the BCHS Pharmacotherapy Clinic can provide free Naloxone and Nyxoid and we can show you how to safely administer the medicines.”
International Overdose Awareness Day is convened by the not-for-profit Penington Institute.
The City of Greater Bendigo council will also help mark the day by lighting the Conservatory purple from sunset to sunrise on August 29, 30 and 31.
Please note: This event will move to Bendigo Trades Hall at 40 View Street if wet weather occurs.
