Overdose prevention message at BCH displays

PEOPLE across the region have been hearing first-hand how drug overdose prevention can save lives as Sunday’s International Overdose Awareness Day approaches.

Ballarat Community Health (BCH) has partnered with Uniting Ballarat to take a harm reduction message to the community through a series of displays at sites around the Ballarat area.

Delacombe Town Centre hosted a display on Monday, Uniting’s Breezeway in Dana Street has one set up today, and Stockland Wendouree is hosting another from 1pm to 4pm tomorrow, Friday 29 August.

The displays offer people an opportunity to learn how overdoses can be prevented.

In addition, naloxone, an approved medicine used to quickly reverse an opioid overdose, is available to anyone who is at risk of, or likely to witness, an opioid overdose.

BCH harm reduction coordinator Kate Davenport said this included anyone who has been prescribed opioids, as well as those using illicit opioids.

Ms Davenport said that with illicit drug supplies becoming increasingly unstable, opioids are now being detected in non-opioid drugs, placing anyone who uses illicit substances at risk of opioid overdose.

She said BCH usually hosted an event to coincide with International Overdose Awareness Day but this year decided to take the message to the community.

“We thought this would be an effective way to reach people with the message that opioid overdoses are preventable,” she said.

“There is a safe and effective way of preventing overdose deaths and we need more people to be aware of naloxone and how to respond to an opioid overdose.

“We want to have non-stigmatising, non-judgemental conversations, and hopefully we can bust some myths about opioid overdose.”

The displays feature a naloxone nasal spray model.

“We’ve commissioned Sam Dekok from Ballarat 3D Proto Services to 3D print a 160-centimetre-tall naloxone nasal spray model for people to check out and learn about how naloxone can save lives,” Ms Davenport said.

The displays come as the latest Victorian Coroner’s overdose report shows there were six overdose deaths in Ballarat in 2024.

Victoria recorded 584 overdose deaths in 2024, the highest in a decade.

Ms Davenport said Ballarat’s overdose death rate was down by 14 on the previous two years but it was still too early to say if the region was reversing the trend.

“We welcome the reduction but there could be many reasons for this lower number and six deaths from preventable overdose are still far too many,” she said.

Just over a quarter of Victorian deaths occurred in regional Victoria.