Thursday, 29 August 2024

Ministers statements: International Overdose Awareness Day

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:04): I rise today to acknowledge International Overdose Awareness Day, which takes place this Saturday 31 August. Convened by Victoria’s own Penington Institute and now in its 24th year, this important day has become a global call to action to end overdose and, importantly, to remember without judgement and without stigma those who have died and to acknowledge the grief of loved ones left behind. Stigma tries to teach us that drug harms and overdose effect only particular parts of our community in particular parts of our state, that overdose is the result of individual failing and that its harms are contained to the darkest corners of our cities’ streets. But let us be clear, overdose impacts all communities and all parts of those communities, from the CBD to the suburbs, from regional centres to country Victoria.

In 2022, 528 Victorians lost their lives due to unintentional overdose. That is too many Victorians, and we must reflect on each of these lives lost. But more importantly, we must act. In Victoria we take a health-led response to addressing drug harms. It is why we are proud to be home to one of only two safe injecting facilities in the Southern Hemisphere, and it is why we are proud to be introducing drug-checking services this year. It is why we are proud to be delivering a statewide action plan to reduce drug harm. The plan will provide greater access to vital health and social supports, greater access to pharmacotherapy treatment and greater access to the life-saving medication naloxone.

This International Overdose Awareness Day I encourage each and every one of us in this chamber to take a moment to think about those Victorians impacted by overdose, those whose suffering is all too often in silence, and to think about the steps we can take to help end overdose rather than contributing to stigma.