“On Aug.21, the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), in collaboration with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), launched an awareness campaign focused on bringing attention to harm reduction, anti-stigma and grief and loss messages surrounding the toxic drug emergency.

The ‘Connecting to Culture’ campaign supports International Overdose Awareness Day, taking place each year on Aug. 31. Overdose Awareness Day is​ the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died or experienced an overdose, and acknowledge the grief felt by those left behind.

Culture is medicine, culture is healing

First Nations people and communities have been disproportionately impacted by the toxic drug emergency. The FNHA wants to support communities in bringing awareness to the services and supports available to those who use substances, as well as their loved ones.

“We need to change how we think about, what we say about and how we treat people who use substances. In the midst of this sorrowful and grim situation, we need to continue to have hope. Because hope is the catalyst that will accelerate our public health response. We need to reignite the will, the energy, our intentions and actions to addressing the toxic drug crisis and significantly reduce the number of First Nations deaths and associated harms.” – Dr. Nel Wieman, FNHA Acting Chief Medical Officer.”

Find more from First Nations Health Authority (Canada, August 2023)