DARREN McLEAN<\/p>\n
PEOPLE across the region have been hearing first-hand how drug overdose prevention can save lives as Sunday’s International Overdose Awareness Day approaches.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Delacombe Town Centre hosted a display on Monday, Uniting’s Breezeway in Dana Street had one set up yesterday, and Stockland Wendouree is hosting another from 1pm to 4pm today, Friday 29 August.<\/p>\n
The displays offer people an opportunity to learn how overdoses can be prevented.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
BCH harm reduction coordinator Kate Davenport said this included anyone who has been prescribed opioids, as well as those using illicit opioids.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“We thought this would be an effective way to reach people with the message that opioid overdoses are preventable,” she said.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“We want to have non-stigmatising, non-judgemental conversations, and hopefully we can bust some myths about opioid overdose.”<\/p>\n
The displays feature a naloxone nasal spray model.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
The displays come as the latest Victorian Coroner’s overdose report shows there were six overdose deaths in Ballarat in 2024.<\/p>\n
Victoria recorded 584 overdose deaths in 2024, the highest in a decade.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Just over a quarter of Victorian deaths occurred in regional Victoria.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DARREN McLEAN 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 […]<\/p>\n