Latest news with #overdose
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bankers, athletes, students are using drugs. This hotline tries to keep them safe
There's a national overdose hotline that some Canadians call before they're about to use drugs. But the people dialling in aren't who you might think. Since the National Overdose Response Service (NORS) launched nearly five years ago, it's been reaching drug users who wouldn't typically use consumption and treatment sites. Shame and stigma can force people to use drugs alone, putting them at a greater risk of dying from an overdose. "We do know that a lot of people are hidden substance users," said Monty Ghosh, an addictions physician in Alberta and a NORS researcher. "It could be that they're afraid of losing their job, they're afraid that the family might leave them, they're afraid that the children might get taken away from them." Ghosh says that's where the hotline comes in. He says many people calling in have voluntarily disclosed that they have jobs and stable housing. "We're talking [about] people who are lawyers, physicians, engineers, people who are professional athletes," he said. "A lot of them are using the service because they don't identify as the same population as who uses a physical supervised consumption site." NORS is like a buddy system — operators stay on the line as people use drugs, ready to alert emergency services if they suspect the person has overdosed. People can also text the line, if they can't or don't want to call. To see who is reaching out and how the hotline works, CBC News met up with an operator in Hamilton, Ont., and listened in on multiple calls. WATCH | NORS operator provides advice while callers take drugs: The operator, Jodi, starts any call by confirming the person's address, telling them to keep their doors unlocked and pets away. These are all precautions in case EMS has to respond. One of the calls was from a student who was about to use crack. "I heard that there was a bad batch going around in my area and I was just wondering if you knew anything about it?" the person asked Jodi. LISTEN | Caller worries about 'bad batch' of drugs in area: A quick online search for alerts about tainted substances in the caller's region turned up empty, so Jodi cautioned, "Start low, go slow." Another caller, who was smoking fentanyl, told Jodi she's trying to use less frequently. When she does, she's started testing her drugs to stay safe. "Keep doing that," Jodi told her. "Just the stuff that's going around right now, it's actually really scary." LISTEN | Caller smokes fentanyl on the line: Once people use, Jodi stays on the line with them for about 10 to 15 minutes. She makes small talk — asking what they ate for dinner and what their plans are for the evening — all the while paying attention to how they're responding. "We're not therapists, we're not counsellors, we're not social workers," Jodi told CBC News. "We're not here to dig deep [into] why they started using drugs. It's just, 'Hey, how's it going today?'" No one overdosed the night CBC was on the line with Jodi, but it has happened. Of the almost 20,000 calls NORS has received, it's responded to more than 200 overdoses. According to the organization, nobody has died while using the line. In comparison, between March 2020 and February 2025, drug consumption and treatment sites across Canada received more than three million visits. "Our mandate at NORS is to keep people alive while they're using substances," said Lisa Morris-Miller, the executive director of the hotline. Her sister, Rebecca Morris-Miller, founded the line in December 2020, with the help of her friend Kim Ritchie. The pair had complicated pasts with drug use and met during a recovery program. With a cellphone, $1,000 and some volunteers, Ritchie says they started an early version of the hotline. By the end of 2020, she says partnerships with the University of Alberta and Health Canada led to funding that launched the line across the country. NORS is the first and only national overdose response hotline in Canada. For two years, Rebecca helped grow the service and became an advocate for people who were struggling. But throughout, she continued to struggle with her own addiction to fentanyl. In October 2022, Rebecca used drugs alone and didn't call her own hotline — and ended up dying from an overdose. "My opinion … is that there is still so much stigma associated with substance use, so much that … one of the key founders of this organization wouldn't call her own line," said Lisa Morris-Miller. Most NORS callers are from Ontario, Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan, according to researcher Ghosh. The most recent data from the hotline shows that of more than 3,200 calls, about 50 per cent were women and 16 per cent identified as gender diverse. In interviews, Ghosh said these callers told them that they prefer the hotline because of stigma and safety. While the organization hasn't released research on this, Ghosh says about 10 per cent of their calls have asked about referrals for mental health, opioid treatments or treatment centres. Ian Tait, communications director for the Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia CUPE 873, says he isn't surprised to hear who is using the service. "In British Columbia … we go to million-dollar mansions for, you know, issues with substance use," said Tait, who is also an advanced care paramedic supervisor. He said that most of the overdose calls they respond to are for people who are unhoused, with mental health and substance use issues. Tait cited an app called Lifeguard, which he says people in B.C. will often use. Those with the app will activate it before taking their drug of choice and they then have to deactivate it within a certain period of time. If they don't, EMS will be alerted. "In this type of crisis, we have to look at ideas that are outside of the box," he said. Faith O'Toole, a 22-year-old Ottawa resident, has been revived multiple times because of the hotline. Having used crack and fentanyl since she was a teenager, O'Toole has lost count of how often she's overdosed. Her mom, Tamara, allowed Faith to keep living at home and using drugs, but insisted she call the hotline. "Of course I don't want my child to use drugs — nobody does. But if they're going to and I can't make her stop, what can I do to help keep her as safe as possible?" said Tamara. She estimates Faith has overdosed at least three times while using NORS. "Overdosing sucks, but the hotline is really useful," said Faith. "It's convenient. I mean, if you have a phone … you can call and you're safe." But Faith no longer lives at home and says she doesn't call the hotline as often. Despite how helpful virtual resources like hotlines and apps can be in this crisis, experts say they can't replace controversial drug consumption and treatment sites. The hotline fills some gaps — like being available around the clock and allowing people to smoke their drugs (which many drug sites don't allow) — but it's not accessible to everyone. For example, some people might not have a cellphone, says Caleb Clay, administrative manager for a mobile overdose prevention site at Sunshine House in Winnipeg. "I think that physical and virtual options can work hand in hand," he said. "I don't think physical sites will ever go away." Ghosh says these sites are essential, specifically because they're often used by people who are experiencing homelessness, and can provide them with a range of support. For example, they connect people to the local mental health care system, help bandage wounds or offer drug test strips and clean needles. But drug consumption sites have historically faced a lot of backlash. Most recently in Ontario, the provincial government shut down several facilities under new legislation and said it doesn't plan on approving any more sites. Right now, NORS has 20 employees across the country and is fully funded by Health Canada until 2028. NORS operator Jodi says people who call in just want to protect themselves, without judgment. She gets it, because she was once addicted to drugs, too. "It's kind of embarrassing," one caller told Jodi the evening CBC listened in. "What's embarrassing?" Jodi asked. "You know — you don't want to tell your family, but you don't want to be alone," they said. "Well, we're always frickin' here for you," Jodi said. "Nothing to be embarrassed [about] here."
CBC
5 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
Bankers, athletes, students are using drugs. This hotline tries to keep them safe
There's a national overdose hotline that some Canadians call before they're about to use drugs. But the people dialling in aren't who you might think. Since the National Overdose Response Service (NORS) launched nearly five years ago, it's been reaching drug users who wouldn't typically use consumption and treatment sites. "We do know that a lot of people are hidden substance users," said Monty Ghosh, an addictions physician in Alberta and a NORS researcher. "It could be that they're afraid of losing their job, they're afraid that the family might leave them, they're afraid that the children might get taken away from them." Ghosh says that's where the hotline comes in. He says many people calling in have voluntarily disclosed that they have jobs and stable housing. "We're talking [about] people who are lawyers, physicians, engineers, people who are professional athletes," he said. "A lot of them are using the service because they don't identify as the same population as who uses a physical supervised consumption site." How does NORS work? NORS is like a buddy system — operators stay on the line as people use drugs, ready to alert emergency services if they suspect the person has overdosed. People can also text the line, if they can't or don't want to call. To see who is reaching out and how the hotline works, CBC News met up with an operator in Hamilton, Ont., and listened in on multiple calls. WATCH | NORS operator provides advice while callers take drugs: Canada has a hotline for people who hide their drug use 20 days ago Duration 9:17 An anonymous hotline has fielded over 20,000 calls from people across Canada who want support when using drugs alone, and as CBC's Jennifer La Grassa uncovers, the callers who rely on the National Overdose Response Service (NORS) are not who you might think they are. The operator, Jodi, starts any call by confirming the person's address, telling them to keep their doors unlocked and pets away. These are all precautions in case EMS has to respond. One of the calls was from a student who was about to use crack. "I heard that there was a bad batch going around in my area and I was just wondering if you knew anything about it?" the person asked Jodi. A quick online search for alerts about tainted substances in the caller's region turned up empty, so Jodi cautioned, "Start low, go slow." Another caller, who was smoking fentanyl, told Jodi she's trying to use less frequently. When she does, she's started testing her drugs to stay safe. "Keep doing that," Jodi told her. "Just the stuff that's going around right now, it's actually really scary." Once people use, Jodi stays on the line with them for about 10 to 15 minutes. She makes small talk — asking what they ate for dinner and what their plans are for the evening — all the while paying attention to how they're responding. "We're not therapists, we're not counsellors, we're not social workers," Jodi told CBC News. "We're not here to dig deep [into] why they started using drugs. It's just, 'Hey, how's it going today?'" No one overdosed the night CBC was on the line with Jodi, but it has happened. Of the almost 20,000 calls NORS has received, it's responded to more than 200 overdoses. According to the organization, nobody has died while using the line. In comparison, between March 2020 and February 2025, drug consumption and treatment sites across Canada received more than three million visits. Goal is to 'keep people alive' "Our mandate at NORS is to keep people alive while they're using substances," said Lisa Morris-Miller, the executive director of the hotline. Her sister, Rebecca Morris-Miller, founded the line in December 2020, with the help of her friend Kim Ritchie. The pair had complicated pasts with drug use and met during a recovery program. With a cellphone, $1,000 and some volunteers, Ritchie says they started an early version of the hotline. By the end of 2020, she says partnerships with the University of Alberta and Health Canada led to funding that launched the line across the country. NORS is the first and only national overdose response hotline in Canada. For two years, Rebecca helped grow the service and became an advocate for people who were struggling. But throughout, she continued to struggle with her own addiction to fentanyl. In October 2022, Rebecca used drugs alone and didn't call her own hotline — and ended up dying from an overdose. "My opinion … is that there is still so much stigma associated with substance use, so much that … one of the key founders of this organization wouldn't call her own line," said Lisa Morris-Miller. Lawyers, bankers, athletes calling in Most NORS callers are from Ontario, Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan, according to researcher Ghosh. The most recent data from the hotline shows that of more than 3,200 calls, about 50 per cent were women and 16 per cent identified as gender diverse. In interviews, Ghosh said these callers told them that they prefer the hotline because of stigma and safety. While the organization hasn't released research on this, Ghosh says about 10 per cent of their calls have asked about referrals for mental health, opioid treatments or treatment centres. Ian Tait, communications director for the Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia CUPE 873, says he isn't surprised to hear who is using the service. "In British Columbia … we go to million-dollar mansions for, you know, issues with substance use," said Tait, who is also an advanced care paramedic supervisor. He said that most of the overdose calls they respond to are for people who are unhoused, with mental health and substance use issues. Tait cited an app called Lifeguard, which he says people in B.C. will often use. Those with the app will activate it before taking their drug of choice and they then have to deactivate it within a certain period of time. If they don't, EMS will be alerted. "In this type of crisis, we have to look at ideas that are outside of the box," he said. Faith O'Toole, a 22-year-old Ottawa resident, has been revived multiple times because of the hotline. Having used crack and fentanyl since she was a teenager, O'Toole has lost count of how often she's overdosed. Her mom, Tamara, allowed Faith to keep living at home and using drugs, but insisted she call the hotline. "Of course I don't want my child to use drugs — nobody does. But if they're going to and I can't make her stop, what can I do to help keep her as safe as possible?" said Tamara. She estimates Faith has overdosed at least three times while using NORS. "Overdosing sucks, but the hotline is really useful," said Faith. "It's convenient. I mean, if you have a phone … you can call and you're safe." But Faith no longer lives at home and says she doesn't call the hotline as often. Hotline can't replace drug consumption sites: experts Despite how helpful virtual resources like hotlines and apps can be in this crisis, experts say they can't replace controversial drug consumption and treatment sites. The hotline fills some gaps — like being available around the clock and allowing people to smoke their drugs (which many drug sites don't allow) — but it's not accessible to everyone. For example, some people might not have a cellphone, says Caleb Clay, administrative manager for a mobile overdose prevention site at Sunshine House in Winnipeg. "I think that physical and virtual options can work hand in hand," he said. "I don't think physical sites will ever go away." Ghosh says these sites are essential, specifically because they're often used by people who are experiencing homelessness, and can provide them with a range of support. For example, they connect people to the local mental health care system, help bandage wounds or offer drug test strips and clean needles. But drug consumption sites have historically faced a lot of backlash. Most recently in Ontario, the provincial government shut down several facilities under new legislation and said it doesn't plan on approving any more sites. Right now, NORS has 20 employees across the country and is fully funded by Health Canada until 2028. NORS operator Jodi says people who call in just want to protect themselves, without judgment. She gets it, because she was once addicted to drugs, too. "It's kind of embarrassing," one caller told Jodi the evening CBC listened in. "What's embarrassing?" Jodi asked. "You know — you don't want to tell your family, but you don't want to be alone," they said.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
She Wanted a Tattoo to Honor Her Late Brother. It Landed Her in the ICU
Quiniece Washburn wanted to honor her late brother after he died of an overdose, as the two were "pretty close" when they were growing up She got a portrait of his face on her leg, "so I knew that he would be with me," but the tattoo became painfully infected, causing her to need treatment in the ICU She's warning others to be careful about the cleanliness of their tattoo shop, as the experience was "traumatizing"A woman who wanted to honor her late brother with a tattoo of his face ended up with a dangerous infection — and a scar where his portrait should be. Quiniece Washburn said she and her brother were 'pretty close' growing up, according to Daily Mail. After her brother died of an overdose, the 36-year-old mom of two shared that she 'wanted to get the tattoo so I knew that he would be with me.' She researched a tattoo artist online and paid $350 for a portrait of her brother on her left calf. But as she told the outlet, she felt a painful, burning sensation while getting inked. When the tattoo artist was finished and wiped the tattoo down — a common practice, as tattoos can ooze blood and ink — Washburn said the tattoo leaked more than what's usually expected. Her tattoo began to form blisters, leaking fluid, she said. 'I could stick a white paper towel on the tattoo and the whole picture would be on it,' she explained. Washburn said it began to cause significant pain. 'When it got worse, I was having to drag my leg to walk, and I was limping. It was a horrible time for me. The pain was traumatizing, and it was upsetting because it was the face of my brother,' she shared. Washburn went to the hospital 10 times for intravenous antibiotics — until her condition grew so severe that she needed to be admitted to the ICU. That's when she was diagnosed with a devastating case of cellulitis. It's a skin infection caused by bacteria that enters the skin through a cut or crack, the Mayo Clinic explains. While there, doctors treated the infection, which she described as 'green infected stuff oozing out of me.' 'The hospital never said it was from dirty products, and I watched [the tattoo artist] unpack my needles, but people say if the [tattoo] gun isn't properly wiped, then that can cause infection,' Washburn, who wonders if 'someone else's fluids may still have been on the gun," explained. Aggressive antibiotic treatment helped clear up the infection, but Washburn said her tribute to her late brother is 'pretty ruined.' 'It has a lot of scar tissue on it and it's cracked. His face doesn't look the same at all, and it's kind of dark. I've been told not to touch it for a year, so I'm going to leave it as it is,' Washburn said. She added that the tattoo artist refunded her money and gave her $200 after learning what had happened. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. She's sharing her ordeal to warn others. 'I'd tell people to watch your tattoo artist and make sure everything is clean,' Washburn told the outlet, calling the experience, 'traumatizing.' Read the original article on People
CTV News
17 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
WECHU continuing efforts to address high rates of opioid-related incidents
Pills spill in an arrangement photo of prescription Oxycodone in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is seeking solutions to address high rates of opioid-related emergency visits and deaths in the area. Windsor and Essex County have consistently ranked among the areas in Ontario with the highest opioid overdose rates. An update was provided on Thursday during the WECHU Board Meeting, which showed that Windsor-Essex experienced record-high opioid-related emergency department visits, and opioid-related deaths that significantly exceeded provincial rates. In 2024, the region saw 519 emergency department visits for opioid overdoses – the highest number on record since 2014. Windsor-Essex's opioid overdose rate is 11.09 per 10,000 residents, significantly higher than the provincial average of 7.76 per 10,000 residents. Opioid-related deaths in the region are also on the rise, with 127 fatalities reported in 2023. This reported number puts the region nearly double the provincial number, with 28.9 deaths per 100,000 residents locally compared to the provincial average of 16.8. The Health Unit Board passed a motion on Thursday to push for funding opportunities from all levels of government, and that communities who are experiencing disproportionately high overdose rates, such as Windsor-Essex, be prioritized to fund essential services. Eric Nadalin, Director of Public Health Programs with the Health Unit, said funding is crucial to offer critical services. 'Windsor-Essex is amongst the top, if not the top, in a lot of those statistical categories,' Nadalin said. 'So, we know that upper levels of government make a number of different funding decisions over the course of the year and based on the data we feel that it's important to advocate to the government that those funds come to communities like Windsor-Essex where we see those disproportionately high rates.' Nadalin said the Health Unit continues to do a number of initiatives. 'Working with those people who use substances has been a focus of ours, and will continue to be a focus of ours as we move forward, and looking at new ways that if people are using they can use more safely including more advanced drug checking technologies, including engaging them in conversations about their use so that we have a better understanding of where they're coming from, how they found themselves to be in the position that they're in,' he said. The Medical Officer of Health with the Health Unit, Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, said these rates are concern. 'It's pressure on the health care partners, and the emergency department, it also talks about the burden on these individuals. Each overdose can lead to permanent brain damage, and other issues related, so it's very concerning.' The Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction department was created in January 2025 and is actively engaged in several ongoing initiatives aimed at addressing substance use and promoting community well-being. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit will continue to explore new partnership opportunities with local agencies. - Written by Meagan Delaurier/AM800 News.
CTV News
21 hours ago
- CTV News
Regina police report decrease in crimes against people, property in May
WATCH: Crime statistics, pension policy, and contact interviews were some topics discussed at Thursday's Police Board of Commissioners meeting. Regina Police Board of Commissioners met Thursday morning and reported a decrease in certain crimes in the city throughout the month of May. According to a report from the meeting, crimes against people and property saw an overall decrease of 15 per cent in May. Regina police said assaults were down 24 per cent, robberies dropped 10 per cent and breaking and entering saw a 33 per cent decline in May. Overdose concerns However, over the past few weeks Regina police have partnered up with the Saskatchewan Health Authority reacting to a local increase in overdoses throughout the first half of June. That included 54 in one week. 'There might be a drug that's in the community right now that has increased toxicity over what we are regularly seeing, based on the number of calls for assistance that we are receiving,' Acting Chief of Police Lorilee Davies said. 'So, we work with Sask. health just to put out an alert so that people in the community understand what's happening in real time and then can make maybe safer choices in terms of their usage of those narcotics so that we aren't having more overdoses,' Davies said. An overdose alert was issued for Regina on June 12 and was scheduled to last until June 19.
