Six Nations Health Services (SNHS) will be hosting Overdose Awareness Day at Veterans park in Ohsweken on Aug. 31.

The special community event aims to educate the public on all types of overdoses that take place within the community, as well as supporting those who have struggled, or know someone that has struggled with addiction.

Eve Kahama, integrated drug strategy coordinator for SNHS, and Cam Sault, former addictions outreach worker, both joined CJKS to talk about the event and what they hope it will bring to the community. The event will feature vendors, speakers and supports from local health organizations; naloxone training; a ribbon tree wrapping ceremony where community members can remember loved ones that have been lost to overdoses; and a musical performance by local Six Nations artist Lacey Hill.

"This whole event is just a great opportunity to really bring awareness to overdoses that are still happening in our community, but again to really to spotlight resources that are available for it," said Sault, who ran the event in past years.

"Another huge part of these events, and why we do it, is to really eliminate the stigma that is associated with people who choose to use," he added. "When we talk about fentanyl, when we talk about some of these stronger opioids that people are overdosing on, it's very difficult to quit those substances cold turkey and to just stop. With that being said, that's when the resources and services we can provide; that's really where we become advocates for our mental health and addictions team."

Kahama provided details about the naloxone training that will be provided at the event.

"We should really be treating substance abuse like a disease, and like any disease just like how people are trained in CPR," Kahama said. "I think everybody should be trained in giving and receiving naloxone. It's extremely easy to be trained. All it takes is about 20 minutes.

She added that by training everyone on how to use the kits, it can save lives and remove stigma around substance use.

"We should be treating people the same as everybody else and understanding that this is a disease and we can do our part in it to prevent an overdoes from becoming fatal" Kahama said.

As an addictions outreach worker in the community, Sault said he knows what is happening on the ground level and what is being used in the community.

"To name one specifically, is cocaine, it's used at a high rate in the community and we are seeing cocaine being laced with fentanyl or opioids," Sault said. "So people who don't use opioids whatsoever but they may recreationally use cocaine, they could come across a cross contaminated batch where there could be fentanyl or opioids in the drugs they're using, so then again they'll need a naloxone kit.

"The more we can have people educated on using them, what there for, and having them in their hand physically is huge," he added. "Because Naloxone can save a life."

For those in need of naloxone kits, they can be picked up at two locations on Six Nations free of charge:

• Six Nations Crisis Hub at 1546 Chiefwood Rd.
• Six Nations Mental Health and Addictions at 1769 Cheifswood Rd.

Overdose Awareness Day runs from 5 -8 pm. on Aug. 31 at Veterans park in Ohsweken.

Listen to CJKS' interview with Kahama and Sault in the audio below: