'Stop stigmatizing drug addicts': Crowds mark Overdose Awareness Day in downtown Guelph

Family and advocates gathered in downtown Guelph on Thursday to mark International Overdose Awareness Day.

After losing his childhood friend to a drug overdose, Nicholas Menner transformed his grief into a mission to help others who’ve gone through a similar experience.

"The only way to successfully fight addiction is to decriminalize substance use, decriminalize the substances, regulate the substances and treat addiction the same way we would treat mental health," Menner said.

Menner also shared his own experience with drug use, including substances he has used since he was 16 years old, saying it’s been a long journey to get to where he is today.

"Since then, I've been struggling with addiction to heroin and to opioids in general."

Menner, along with others, gathered in the Royal City to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day, organized by the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy.

"People are starting to understand what this public crisis is about and that people need to come out and be loud so we can see some policy change," said Denise Watterson, a peer practice lead with the Canadian Mental Health Association for Wellington-Dufferin County.

Drummers in downtown Guelph for Overdose Awarness Day on Aug. 31, 2023. (Dan Lauckner/CTV Kitchener)

The annual event honours those who have lost their lives. It’s also a chance to educate others and reduce the stigma surrounding drug-related deaths.

“There’s a drug crisis in every city right now, and it’s gotten bad over the years, and we need to overcome it," attendee Deanis Smith said.

In the first eight months of 2023, public health officials say Wellington County has lost 31 people to suspected drug-related deaths.

"That is a big number, you know, you can imagine that for a cause as preventable as this. That's something that should be significant, and really, each of these deaths is something that in principle we can prevent," said Dr. Matthew Tenenbaum with Wellington-Dufferin Public Health.

Thursday’s rally at Guelph City Hall is advocating for policy changes to end the toxic drug poisoning crisis and pushing for more harm reduction services to prevent further deaths.

"Two things I think need to happen is drug policy change [and] decriminalization,” said Tonya Evans, peer navigator with the Canadian Mental Health Association for Wellington-Dufferin County. “We have a toxic drug supply so it's not that people are overdosing, it's people are using a drug that they have no idea the potency what’s in it and if that's what's killing people."

A sentiment echoed by Menner who says more work needs to be done.

"Stop stigmatizing drug addicts and stop penalizing them for being drug addicts. We are all human beings," he said.

People hammer purple markers into the ground at Kitchener's Victoria Park on Aug. 31, 2023 Overdose Awareness Day. Each cross represents a life lost to drug poisoning. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV Kitchener)