More than 2,200 Ontarians died from drug poisoning last year. In Guelph and Wellington County alone, at least 46 lives were lost in 2024 to toxic drug supply.
It’s important that we recognize the pain behind these numbers. These losses were parents, siblings, friends and neighbours – members of our community.
One of the biggest barriers to meaningful change is stigma.
Stigma isolates people. It can silence families. It prevents honest conversations about substance use and discourages people from carrying naloxone, accessing services or reaching out for help.
It paints drug poisoning as a moral failing or something that only affects people who are unhoused or visibly struggling. That narrative is not only harmful, it’s inaccurate.
The fact is, unregulated substance use is a reality in our community. The increasingly toxic drug supply poses a risk to everyone, not just those who use substances regularly. Many of these tragedies involve people who use drugs occasionally or recreationally, often unaware that what they’re taking contains fentanyl or other highly toxic substances.
Here in our region, 79% of opioid-related deaths occur in private residences – not in public spaces, but behind closed doors. These numbers challenge the common misconceptions about who is affected and remind us that our response must be rooted in honesty and compassion, not stigma or blame.
Additionally, nearly one-third of Ontarians who died from drug toxicity did not have a history of substance use disorder. This issue is not confined to any one demographic; it touches every corner of our community, every socioeconomic group and every age bracket.
Each year, as part of Drug Poisoning Awareness Day, we collaborate with community members and peers most impacted to design T-shirts with community-driven messages.
This year’s message remains clear and urgent: “Support, not stigma.” Truly addressing this crisis requires a public health response rooted in care, evidence and a health-focused response.
That means:
– supporting harm reduction services;
– increasing access to low-barrier treatment options; and above all
– talking openly and without judgment about the realities of substance use and drug toxicity we are seeing in our community.
On Aug. 21 in Mount Forest, and Aug. 28 in Guelph, community members will come together for Drug Poisoning Awareness Day – a moment to honour those we’ve lost, stand with those who are grieving, and call for a more compassionate, evidence-based response.
At the heart of this day is a simple but urgent message: support, not stigma.
Everyone deserves safety.
Everyone deserves support.
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For more information on Drug Poisoning Awareness Day visit wgdrugstrategy.ca.
To purchase a Support Not Stigma T-shirt visit stores.inksoft.com/wgds/shop/home.
This op-ed piece was co-signed by Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy manager Jean Hopkins, Stonehenge Therapeutic Community CEO Kristin Kerr, Guelph Community Health Centre CEO Melissa Kwiatkowski, Wyndham House executive director Kristen Cairney, Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington CEO Helen Fishburn and Homewood Health Centre clinical operations and programs director Sharon Deally-Grzybowski.