Hey, Pal… You Ok? Safer Washrooms and Episodic OPS

Attempts to exclude people who use substances from facilities, or prevent substance use from being seen by staff, have failed to dissuade people from using and have instead pushed them to use alone. Episodic Overdose Prevention Services (e-OPS) are services or interventions that healthcare and social service providers (anyone from paramedics to peer supporters) can offer on an as-needed basis, anytime and anywhere overdoses occur.

In this webinar, Emily Sollows from the BC Center for Disease Control (BCCDC) outlines the ethical and professional obligation to reduce preventable deaths caused by the toxic drug supply during the wait for a safer, regulated supply.

Joining the webinar is Shannon Riley from VCH and Kali-olt Sedgemore from VCH, Portland Hotel Society (PHS) Community Services Society and The Coalition of Peers Dismantling the Drug War, presenting on ‘Saving Lives, Safer Washrooms.’ They echo Emily’s sentiments regarding the urgency to provide basic needs for safer drug consumption and enhance safety for people who use alone. Together they shed light on the need for safer public washrooms and misconceptions about public drug use, and offer a checklist to implement safety changes in workplaces or community spaces.  

This webinar features an interactive fireside chat format, that encouraged the audience to follow the discussion and ask questions along the way. Learn about unique approaches to e-OPS and public washroom safety, and leave with new strategies to help to de-stigmatize substance use in public washrooms and help to save the lives of vulnerable populations in your communities. All overdose deaths are preventable!