Joey McColl was a sweet boy. He was funny and he loved people.
Joey was many things. A son to a mom who loved him like only a mother a can, a friend, and a partner. Joey was also an addict.
His mom, Kelly wanted to share his story in hopes to help others.
There’s not enough education and awareness surrounding addiction and the causes behind it.
Kelly wants people to know addicts are not just “slums” in the back alley.
Many of them come from good homes.
This video was powerful and emotional but it is also packed full of information that everyone needs to hear.
We are in a crisis and people are dying.
In Joey’s hometown of Peterborough, Ontario the statistics surrounding the opioid crisis are staggering:
- Peterborough Public Health Unit ranked 4th highest in terms of average opioid related deaths per 100,000 population between July 2013 and June 2016.*
- Peterborough ranked 3rd in the number of significant opioid overdose hospitalizations in 2016/17.**
- Peterborough ranked 4th in the number of opioid poisoning Emergency Department visits in 2016/17.**
- In 2017, Peterborough County/City Paramedics (PCCP) report that they experienced a 65% increase in Overdose/Intoxication type calls, compared to an average yearly increase of 15% between 2014-2016. The average age of opioid related overdose patients in 2017 was 36 years old.
- There were 336 opioid-related deaths in Ontario from May to July 2017, compared with 201 during the same time period in 2016, representing a 68 per cent increase.
- From July to September 2017, there were 2,449 emergency department visits related to opioid overdoses in Ontario, compared with 1,896 in the three months prior, representing a 29 per cent increase.
- In addition to sanctioning Temporary Overdose Prevention Sites, Ontario is investing more than $222 million to combat the opioid crisis in Ontario, including expanding harm reduction services, hiring more front-line staff and improving access to addictions supports across the province.
Source: MyKawartha
If you know someone who is suffering here are few resources:
- Four Counties Addictions Services Team: 1-800-461-1909
- Connex (Provincial) help lines:
- Drug and Alcohol Helpline: 1-800-565-8603
- Mental Health Helpline: 1-866-531-2600
- Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-888-230-3505
This post is sponsored by Peterborough Drug Strategy. As always, all opinions shared are my own.
* per 100,000 population out of the 36 Ontario public health units. Source: Ontario Drug Policy Research Network.
**adjusted for the size of the community, out of 15 communities in Ontario with a population greater than 100,000, as defined by Canadian Institute for Health Information.
