By Liam Verster

Opioid Crisis

City to hold free education session on the dangers of opioids

Nov 18, 2019 | 5:00 AM

The City of Grande Prairie’s Community Opioid Response Task Force is holding a public information session on the opioid crisis on Wednesday.

Jasmin Marshall, the Program Services Coordinator with Community Social Development, says the session is designed to educate the public, and raise awareness of the dangers of opioids. The event will feature a screening of the lcoally produced documentary Critical Condition: The Opioid Crisis in Grande Prairie.

“It goes around and interviews different people in the workforce in Grande Prairie. We have people from North Reach, Ask Medical, the Mayor, 7 Gen, and it just talks about how the opioid crisis is affecting our city. And then it also goes into individual experiences. So there’s people, families, moms, sisters, that talk about how they were affected by the crisis.”

The film also touches on the homeless population, harm reduction, and treatment, recovery, and support services in the city.

After the film is presented, there will be a question and answer portion with a special panel, consisting of Kris Ponto, one of the subjects of the film, along with representatives from the Northreach Society and Ask Medical. They will put on a short presentation before opening the floor to the public.

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Along with the film and Q&A, Marshall says there will be extra information and resources available to the public.

“We’ll give them information on how to get treatment and recovery if that’s what they’re seeking. Otherwise, if they just want some Naloxone training, Northreach does a lot of that for free. So, they can easily get Naloxone kits, which save lives.”

Marshall says it’s important to educate the public about the dangers of opioids, especially since Grande Prairie has the highest rate of opioid-related deaths in the province. The City’s stats show there have been 19 opioid-related deaths since the start of 2019, and the per capita numbers have dropped to a rate of 51 people per 100,000 between July and September. That is down from 59 per 100,000 between January and June.

Even with that drop, Grande Prairie still has the highest rate in the Province. The second highest rate is in Lethbridge, which has a rate of 22 per 100,000. The city closest to Grande Prairie in size and location is Fort McMurray, which has seen five opioid-related deaths in 2019.

The free information session is being held at the Grande Prairie Public Library’s Rotary Room, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20. It’s free to attend, but registration is encouraged, as seating is limited. Anyone interested in attending is asked to visit the library’s website to register.