We All Play a R.O.L.E.

We are currently looking for businesses in Langley City & township that are interested in hosting a presentation on the overdose crisis at their place of business.  These presentations are designed for employers and their employees to engage in a conversation about the risk of overdose, our attitudes towards drugs & the people who use them, and how we might all play a ROLE in mitigating the overdose crisis… “we all play a ROLE” is an acronym for “Responding to Overdose in Langley through education”

Thanks to funding from the Community Action Initiative (CAI) a collaboration to address mental health and substance use in BC under the ministry of Mental Health and Addictions we have received funding for this project and the ability to provide a free catered lunch to participating businesses.

Businesses in Langley have already had us present to them, feedback has been positive & both employers and employees have always found the topics to be relevant to them and their families.  If you have a business or know of a business that would appreciate this presentation please reach out to us directly by emailing: dsnyder@sscss.org or filling out this contact form.

In April 2016, for the first time in BC, a provincial health officer (Health Minister Terry Lake) declared a public health emergency due to increasing and often lethal drug overdoses. According to the BC Coroners Report, illicit drug overdose has surpassed homicides, suicides, and motor vehicle accidents combined as the major cause of unnatural deaths in BC.  Langley was identified as one of the 18 hardest hit communities in the province, and as a result special funding was made available to these communities for various projects aimed at mitigating the overdose crisis.

• In Langley over the last two years (2017 & 2018) more than 65 people died from an accidental overdose.
• The province as a whole saw 1422 deaths in 2017, a 43% increase over 2016.
• 4 people die on average in BC every day.
• Fentanyl was detected in ~76% of deaths.
• Illicit drug overdose has surpassed homicides, suicides, and motor vehicle accidents combined as the major cause of unnatural deaths in BC.
• Overall life expectancy in BC has actually dropped as a result of the overdose crisis.