anyway, today’s international overdose awareness day, which is particularly timely for me as a member of my community died of an overdose this week (please save the “i’m sorry for your loss”es and instead use that sympathy to listen to what i have to say about overdose prevention). here’s your reminder that overdose prevention isn’t just about treatment; it’s about creating strong communities where we care for our members, giving safe supply to users, and abolishing the carceral system where addicts are punished for existing.
too often, addicts come back from rehab and are immediately lost. they have no support system anymore, they’ve been relying on the strict structure of their rehab program to survive--and they come home and relapse, and are immediately shamed, treated as if they’ve “failed,” as if recovery is all-or-nothing. rehab programs are too often built to keep people reliant on them, in a never-ending cycle of rehab, relapse, shame, rehab, relapse--and eventual overdose, when combined with the tainted supply currently on the streets.
care for the drug users in your life. help them build community, give them support, ask them what they need and listen when they tell you. advocate for safe supply, universal housing, and uprooting the current system of “treatment” from the ground up.
