Constituent Terry Jenkins, advocate for overdose prevention, speaking at the announcement of Preventing Overdoses in the North: More than just a statistic motion
On May 23rd 2019 I announced that my first Private Member’s Motion in the legislature will be to call on the Ford government to save lives in Northern Ontario by taking immediate action to prevent opioid addiction and overdoses. The motion, Preventing Overdoses in the North: More than just a statistic, urges the provincial government to declare the opioid overdose crisis what it is: a public health emergency.
In the north, opioids have become the silent killer of our neighbours, friends, and loved ones. Last year, 105 people died in Northern Ontario in opioid related incidents. 34 of these deaths were in the Greater Sudbury Region. The situation is becoming more and more urgent everyday. As of May 2019 we heard that one Sudburian is dying every five days on average from an opioid overdose.
Each and every one of these lives lost deserves to be more than just a statistic. In their memory, we need to take action.
Taking the steps outlined in my Private Member’s Motion will help give people a chance at survival. It will also provide funding for evidence-based health initiatives that will help keep everyone in our community healthy and safe, like: harm reduction strategies, residential treatment, anti-stigma training, and awareness programs.
Please join me in calling on the Ontario government to invest in services that will allow frontline health workers in the North to carry out life-saving, evidence-supported work that will save lives in our community.
Help take action by signing up to support my motion below and share the paper petition found here.