Calling it a real crisis in our community, a ceremony was held Wednesday morning on the steps of city hall to recognize the third annual International Overdose Awareness Day.
After St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston read the proclamation, Amanda Zielinski, a volunteer with the Nameless stressed the day is about remembering those lost “to the toxic drug supply.”
Leticia Mizon of The Nameless advised more than 200 people each month die in Ontario due to the “drug poisoning crisis.”
She added it’s time for all levels of government to respond meaningfully and urgently.
Mizon noted over 29,000 Canadians have died since 2016 due to a toxic and illicit drug supply.
It’s a time for reflection, stressed Mizon, in light of minimal action at all levels of government.
The time has come, she added, to call for the legalization of all substances.
Mizon was speaking on behalf of the Ontario Network of People Who Use Drugs. According to their website, the organization “is a provincial association with a large and diverse membership of persons with lived/living experience who work on a multidisciplinary team to inform and shape drug policy through advising, consultation, activism, and membership capacity building.”
Written by Ian McCallum
