Harm Reduction and Naloxone Training Workshops

Canada in general, and Montreal specifically, have been facing a drug toxicity and fatal overdose crisis for nearly a decade. While integrated systems of interventions are necessary to address drug-related harms, the use of naloxone has been a key strategy to reduce the acute effect of opioid-involved deaths. Currently, McGill does not offer naloxone trainings to the campus community, limiting students’ ability to assist in the event of an overdose. This workshop series offers three harm reduction and naloxone training workshops facilitated by a peer worker with lived experience of drug use and homelessness. The workshops will address the current social context of drug use in Montréal, the philosophy of harm reduction, the use of naloxone, and other harm reduction strategies. Graduate students will come away from the workshop having learned a life-saving skill that can be mobilized in their roles as clinicians, carers, family members, and citizens.

While each training has a capacity of 30 students, the February workshop received overwhelming interest. After a few short days of advertising, registrations quickly exceeded capacity, leading to a waitlist and many interested students being unable to attend. The upcoming March 11th workshop received an even more overwhelming response: the registration form was open for a matter of hours before over 50 people registered and the organizers could no longer accept new signups. Again, many interested students had to be turned away. There will be one final training in April, but the high levels of interest among the graduate community suggest that harm reduction and naloxone training is an unmet need on campus. While the organizers are grateful that the Student Engagement Fund supported them to organize these trainings, they believe that the McGill community would benefit from a sustained training initiative that has consistent funding support and does not rely solely on the initiative of individual students.