Empowering Communities in the Opioid Crisis

I am back in the Hunter’s Bay Radio Studio, joined by the lovely Brittney Hillier.
​We’ve had an important and hard conversation about the opioid crisis.
We talk about those suffering from addictions to get help, their supporters and healthcare professionals. They all need to have support.
We all need help in this crisis.

This is an emergency, a crisis in our communities and it’s time
for change. I asked Brittney what she’d like to share,
something that can help make a difference:

Being aware that this can affect anyone- from someone who has been using substances for a really long time to someone who is trying a drug for the
very first time. It affects all walks of life. The other piece I would like to
highlight is to be kind. The words that we use matter. We want to put
people first. We want to eliminate any stigma that exists.

Those are the most important words. And being kind, if you have an addiction,
if you are battling an addiction… be kind to yourself. Reach out for help, this can affect anyone. I’ve shared many times that we went through it with our son Tyler.

I now carry my Naloxone (narcan) kit with me everywhere I go because I
believe that every life is worth saving. Everyone has value, everyone matters,
not matter what they are struggling with.

Absolutely. And if you don’t have a naloxone kit yet, if you are using
substances or a friend/family member is using substances, please go out and
get trained and get a kit from a health unit or pharmacy and encourages others to do so as well. (Naloxone is a drug administered to counter the effects of an opioid overdose and saves lives)

It’s time for change and every community member can be a part of that change.
We can all make a difference by learning to Just Show Up for ourselves and
Just Show Up for each other. Be a part of the change in this crisis.
Let’s do this, together!

 Listen to my radio interview with Brittney here 


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