THUNDER BAY - It's not just heavy drug users that are risking overdose.
That's a dangerous misconception that the Thunder Bay Police Service, through its Zone Watch program, is working to debunk through a new drug awareness campaign that will hit local media.
“The big myth is that casual users are immune to opioid overdoses,” police media coordinator Scott Paradis said at the campaign's launch on Friday.
“We want to use these videos as an icebreaker. We want to have an honest and open discussion. Unlike a lot of drug public service announcements, we’re not trying to shame people."
The campaign features three different videos public service announcements, meant to start conversations about how lethal substances like fentanyl and carfentanil end up in other narcotics.
“We’ve taken sort of a tongue and cheek approach to sort of grab your attention,” said Insp. Ryan Gibson.
Thunder Bay, much like the rest of Canada, has been heavily impacted by the ongoing opioid crisis. In the first quarter of 2018, there were 12 deaths in the Thunder Bay District, according to Cynthia Olsen, the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy coordinator.
In 2017, Thunder Bay had the highest rate of opioid-related deaths in Ontario.
“At the end of the day, addiction is a huge issue for our community, and substance abuse is the genesis for a lot of calls to services that we and other first responders deal with,” Gibson said.
The campaign is not a direct response to the high rate of overdose deaths in the city, but a general service announcement to warn all members of the risks of narcotics.
“The people producing these pills and drugs don’t care. If you pass away that’s not an issue for them,” Gibson said.
“Just because you have a nice life, things are going well, and you want to be a weekend warrior, you’re just as susceptible as the person who is struggling with addiction.”
The campaign is sponsored by Dougall Media, and the videos will air on Thunder Bay Television, tbnewswatch.com, while 30-second radio spots will air on Rock 94, 91.5 CKPR, and Energy 103-104.
