THE town hall was lit up to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day on 31st August and to remember Melksham’s residents who have died from overdose and to raise awareness that help is available for drug and alcohol issues.
The building was lit in purple and black with a bold #EndOverdoseAwareness logo at the centre on Overdose Awareness Day which is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died from overdose and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind. The theme this year was recognising people who go unseen.
“We believe it’s really important to reduce the stigma around overdose,” says Alex Catalona, a team manager at Connect: Wiltshire Substance Use Service, a free drug and alcohol service which provides information, advice, training, needle exchange, brief interventions and harm reduction.
“We hope an overdose never happens but if it does, our aim is to let people know who we are and what support we can offer and that they can come in and get some treatment.
“Our service is available to anyone who needs it, regardless of their circumstance. This includes 1-1 support and treatment for children and adults, access to medical interventions, inpatient detoxes and residential rehab, peer mentor support and more.
“We also provide advice, guidance and one-to-one sessions for young people who are having problems with drugs and/or alcohol. The service is free and confidential, and we aim to provide a flexible and non-judgemental space for young people to be open about the problems they are facing.
“Part of our plan is to go out in our orange backpacks and our green connect van, to offer training to any resident of Wiltshire whether that’s mum, dad, brother of a user, loved one, partner of a user. We offer drug and alcohol awareness training too, to ensure people know how to feel confident to respond to an overdose.
“Equally, if a loved one or someone dear to them is having difficulties with substances themselves, we hope they will know who we are and what support we can offer.”
“Overdose can affect all of us, you could be walking your dog on a Saturday morning and come across someone who has overdosed. Any of us can become a first responder, any of us can stumble across somebody who has tragically died from an overdose.
“We want to make sure that residents of Wiltshire are confident and able to become that first responder and potentially save a member of their own community. We offer training to any resident of Wiltshire to ensure they know how to feel confident to respond to an overdose.”
Deputy Mayor, Cllr Tom Price said, “Lighting up our town hall for International Overdose Awareness Day is a powerful symbol of our commitment to compassion, awareness, and support for those affected by addiction. This day reminds us of the lives lost and the families impacted by overdose, and it’s crucial that we come together as a community to break the stigma, provide education, and offer hope for a brighter, healthier future to all residents. I wish to thank Alex, Anna and all the team at Connect Wiltshire.”
On Overdose Awareness Day Connect: Wiltshire Substance Use Service held events at their hubs in Trowbridge and Salisbury to further raise awareness of the support they offer across the county.
The service is part of Turning Point, a social enterprise designing and delivering health and social care services in the fields of substance use, mental health, learning disability, autism, acquired brain injury, sexual health, homelessness, healthy lifestyles, and employment.
To seek support or for more information, search for Connect Wiltshire on Facebook, ring 0300 5550 157, or visit the website – https://www.turning-point.co.uk/services/connect-wiltshire#about
