STAFF at Ballarat Community Health are aiming to break down the stigma behind opioid usage as part of this year\u2019s International Overdose Awareness Day.<\/p>\n
To coincide with the globally recognised event on Thursday 31 August, BCH\u2019s campaign will culminate with a free film screening and panel discussion as well as lighting Ballarat landmarks with IOAD\u2019s purple motif.<\/p>\n
BCH\u2019s harm reduction coordinator Kate Davenport said it\u2019s important more people realise opioid overdoses are a more wide-spread issue than initially perceived.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year we want people to know that everyone can potentially be affected by overdosing, even if they\u2019re taking prescribed medications or multiple substances,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just a young person\u2019s problem. I think a lot of the time when we hear overdose, people think it\u2019s young people taking drugs, overdosing, and dying.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the statistics it\u2019s actually people aged between 35 to 65.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Coroner\u2019s Court of Victoria report estimated 1031 people throughout the state died of drug overdosed between July 2020 and the end of June last year.<\/p>\n
Of those deaths, more than 20 per cent of people were based in regional locations with about 75 per cent being unintentional overdoses.<\/p>\n
Ballarat\u2019s Town Hall clockface as well as the fountains at Lake Wendouree and Eureka Gardens will be lit purple in acknowledgement IOAD.<\/p>\n
The screening, to take place at 6.15pm at Regent Cinemas on the same day, will feature 2022\u2019s The Fix which is about the effects of the US\u2019s war on drugs movement.<\/p>\n
Following the showing, a panel discussion will be held led by reduction practitioner Simon Brisbane and addiction medicine physician Dr Adam Straub as well as about three people with overdose or substance experiences.<\/p>\n
Ms Davenport said she hopes the event will be a launching point to get people more involved in Ballarat\u2019s opioid overdose situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to get people talking,\u201d she said. \u201cWe try to do something every year and have the community involved but this is a difficult topic to get people interested in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thought it\u2019d be a good icebreaker to have the screening and perhaps people will be more interested in seeing a movie.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople think this is more of a metropolitan issue but it is quite significant in regional. It\u2019s probably more pharmaceutical down here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tickets for the screening can be bought at bit.ly\/3qqsgSI.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
STAFF at Ballarat Community Health are aiming to break down the stigma behind opioid usage as part of this year\u2019s International Overdose Awareness Day. To coincide with the globally recognised event on Thursday 31 August, BCH\u2019s campaign will culminate with a free film screening and panel discussion as well as lighting Ballarat landmarks with IOAD\u2019s […]<\/p>\n