Help is Close at Hand
- kc dyer
- Aug 28
- 2 min read
International Overdose Awareness Day is this weekend
British Columbia recorded a tragic 147 deaths this year in the month of June alone, due to toxic, unregulated drug poisoning.
Sunday marks International Overdose Awareness Day. From grieving families to first responders, the impacts of overdose are far-reaching and are felt across all socio-economic groups.
Members of the global community who support this campaign connect on August 31 every year to call for action on what has become a world-wide problem.
The campaign, an initiative launched in 2012 by the non-profit Australian research group The Penington Institute, supports several principles.
These include:
Overdoses can be prevented
Overdose prevention solutions exist; let's use them
Criminalization of overdose hasn't worked. Compassionate alternatives must be pursued.
Policy and legislation must exist to protect individuals and communities, and ensure basic human rights and needs are met.
Everyone has a right to respectful and comprehensive health care.
Locally, the Squamish Overdose Prevention Site sees an average of 80 safe consumption visits each day, according to Kesley Burke-Gray, the Volunteer Coordinator for the Squamish Helping Hands Society.
“International Overdose Awareness Day is a time to remember and honour those we’ve lost, to stand beside those who are grieving, and to support individuals and families who are impacted by substance use," says Burke-Gray. "It’s also a chance to break down stigma, spark conversations, and work toward a community where compassion, safety, and dignity guide our approach to drug policy and care.”
In BC in 2025, 69% of those who died from overdose were between 30 and 59 years old, and 78% were male.
Burke-Gray adds that since opening the site in 2021, the Squamish Overdose Prevention site have seen "over 67,000 visits and successfully reversed 375 toxic drug poisonings—with no deaths."
Donations can be made to Squamish Helping Hands Society HERE,
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Given that Illicit drug toxicity (i.e., overdose) is the leading cause of death in British Columbia for people aged 10–59, this is helpful information. Thanks!