It’s here, The Opioid Crisis in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Recently the Fort St. John Action Team (CAT) released their Public Service Announcement (PSA) ‘Closer to home’ and film, ‘It’s here, The Opioid Crisis in Fort St. John’ in collaboration with Eagle Vision Video Productions Ltd.

The ‘Close to Home’ PSA is a 39-second commercial created to grab viewers attention and make you think about people that might be in your life that are at risk. The hope is that the PSA will start a conversation as it shows opioid overdose can happen to anyone.

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The short film, ‘It’s here, the Opioid Crisis in Fort St. John’, includes many interviews of partners within the City of FSJ, which provides more clarity on the landscape of the opioid crisis in FSJ, the work that has been completed to support the community and how shame needs to be removed from the situation to help offer support to people seeking help.

CAT collectively applied for and received funding from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions through the Community Action Initiative a year ago which helped fund the two audiovisual projects that are a couple of tools used by the action team to help educate the community.

The team originally came together in response to the opioid crisis and addiction challenges that are happening in the community, and the group wants to show that we as a community are together in this. By providing information, resources, information and community events to show people that they are not alone and there is help.

Healthy FSJ is the vehicle CAT uses for dialogue, education and awareness through their website, presentations to SD 60 classrooms, presentations to Treaty 8 First Nations communities, pop up booths and dialogue sessions, the Overdose Awareness week which saw people being trained in naloxone and work with the Peer group (those with lived experience) called the Northern Sun Helpers are ways in which CAT uses their voice in the community.

CAT, comprised of over 70 members represents over 30 organizations that have spent the past year educating the community through awareness of the opioid challenges in the community, reducing stigma, and elevating the voices of Peers (people with living or lived experience with opioid use or addiction).

With the partnerships that exist in the group and working with the Peers to identify community-based solutions, exploring harm reduction, treatment and aftercare services in Fort St. John, helps to strengthen partnerships and relationships in the community as the willingness and dedication of each member to contribute in the ways that they and their organization can have been what makes the CAT group successful.

To view Healthy FSJ; CLICK HERE

To view Healthy FSJ FB Page; CLICK HERE 

To view Community Action Team FB Group; CLICK HERE 

Responding to an overdose or getting help if you or someone you know is struggling with substance use/addiction;

• Have a naloxone kit on you and learn how to use it. Learn CPR as well.
• If you are a drug user, don’t use alone. Have a person there who can administer naloxone and call 9-1-1 should an overdose occur.
• Get your drugs tested for fentanyl. There is an anonymous testing service provided by the Women’s Resource Society, no questions asked. You do not need to provide ID or any personal information.
• There are several places you can access free naloxone kits and other harm reduction supplies as well as treatment and social stabilization support (e.g. counselling). Go to http://www.healthyfsj.ca/#resources for all of the information to access these resources.