What if you could save a life? Just one life. Would you? For almost all of us, the answer to these questions is an enthusiastic yes. Without question, regardless of anything, a life, just one life, is worth saving. But what if saving that person's life tested your political standpoints around drug use? Would that life still be worth saving? Across this country, people are dying from legal and illegal drug use. Reliable statistics on drug overdoses across Canada are difficult to find, but research by the Ontario coroner's office shows on average, there is an overdose every day in our nation's capital and 33 people a year die from overdoses in Ottawa. [continues 645 words]
What if you could save a life? Just one life. Would you? For almost all of us the answer to these questions is an enthusiastic yes. Without question, regardless of anything, a life, just one life, is worth saving. But what if saving that person's life tested your political standpoints around drug use? Would that life still be worth saving? Across this country people are dying from legal and illegal drug use. Reliable statistics on drug overdoses across Canada are difficult to find, but research by the Ontario coroner shows that on average there is an overdose every day in our nation's capital and 33 people a year die from overdose in Ottawa. Clearly, people who use drugs along with their family and friends, come face to face with death all the time. But what can be done? How can we save people? One answer lies in the way emergency services respond when they receive drug overdose emergency calls. [continues 617 words]
