An annual event recognizing those lost to substance use related harms.
What is Black Balloon Day About?
Black Balloon Day began in the United States in 2016, but has since become an international event. It was started by Diane and Lauren Hurley in remembrance of Greg Tremblay, who died of an overdose at age 38 on March 6, 2015. Tremblay was a father of four, the son-in-law of Diane, and brother-in-law of Lauren. With the one-year anniversary of Tremblay’s passing approaching, Diane thought about what they could do for him and envisioned balloons.
“I had this vision that you wouldn’t be able to escape the balloons, just like you can’t escape this epidemic,” she said, explaining how addiction doesn’t discriminate.
Black Balloon Day has become an annual event dedicated to recognizing and celebrating those who have lost their lives to substance use related harms. Seeing names and faces helps remind us that these people were more than a statistic, and remain loved and celebrated. This is to both honour those lost as well as raise awareness of this ongoing crisis.
What is Going On?
There has been an overall steady increase in opioid overdose deaths in Canada since the early 2000s. From just January 2016 to June 2022, there were 32,632 accidental apparent opioid-related deaths. 90% of these deaths occurred in just 3 provinces - British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
The current approach in this country is not working. We must look to the evidence and the perspectives of people who use drugs rather than clinging to the outdated perception that criminalization will eliminate drug use.
Criminalizing behaviours associated with drug use only further isolates those experiencing addiction, increases the barriers to care and healing, and contributes to the increasingly toxic drug supply.
Connection is necessary for recovery.
How Do We Address Accidental Overdoses?
Investing in evidence-informed harm reduction strategies
Fund supervised injection sites
Allow for prompt overdose responses, drug testing, and needle exchange, while decreasing stigma, fostering a sense of community, and allowing for care with less barriers
Expand naloxone education and distribution
Rejection of abstinence-only "solutions" (Alberta's current model)
Implementation of an evidence-informed model of decriminalization
Threshold for possession high enough to see positive change
Sufficient budgeting for accessible safe supply
Decreased role of police in enforcement
Expansion of legal protections for those seeking care
Expungement of criminal records
Incorporation of health promotion strategies to ensure affordable housing, livable wages, access to mental health services, etc
Systems change
Defunding the police as we shift from criminalization to a public health perspective
Education, healthcare, and criminal justice system reform
Resources for Action & Learning
Canada-Wide
Moms Stop The Harm (MSTH)
The Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
The Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs (CAPUD)
British Columbia
Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU)
Ontario
Ontario Harm Reduction Network (OHRN)
Harm Reduction Toronto
Alberta
Overdose Awareness Edmonton
Turning Point Society of Central Alberta
Other
Prairie Harm Reduction
Overdose Awareness Manitoba
Resources for Those Using Drugs
Canada-Wide
CAPSA Peer Support: Free peer-facilitated group meetings (includes virtual meetings) that use evidence-based practices and tools designed to help those who are questioning their relationship with substances
Wellness Together Canada: 24/7 free and confidential mental health and substance use help
Call 1-866-585-0445
Adults text WELLNESS to 741741
Youth text WELLNESS to 686868
Kids Help Phone: Call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868 for 24/7 support
Ontario
Breaking Free Online: Free online support tool designed to help you reduce or stop the use of over 70 substances, such as tobacco, alcohol and drugs, including opioids
Free for Ontarians 16 and older, available 24/7, confidential, available in English and French
Visit Connex Ontario online
Share your loved one’s name and/or story or a message of hope and support for others today as we continue to fight against stigma and for drug policy reform.
References
Diamantides, A. (2019). Peabody woman, daughter create Black Balloon Day to raise overdose awareness. Retrieved from https://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/peabody-woman-daughter-create-black-balloon-day-to-raise-overdose-awareness/article_ee5e5a6a-570f-5d46-9966-199098f67005.html
Government of Canada (2022a). Get help with substance use. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/get-help-problematic-substance-use.html
Government of Canada (2022b). Opioid- and stimulant-related Harms in Canada. Retrieved from https://health-infobase.canada.ca/substance-related-harms/opioids-stimulants
Government of Canada. (2023). Federal actions on opioids to date. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/documents/services/opioids/federal-actions/overview/overview.pdf
Government of Ontario (2020). COVID-19: Support for people. Retrieved from https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-support-people?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0oagBhDHARIsAI-BbgeeN8kcMK98D8VqDObA90h8nXDzf_9al-TM-Izh_zFi23ZqKIA5SSgaAodAEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#onlinesupport
Moms Stop the Harm. (2023). Black Balloon Day 2023. Retrieved from https://www.momsstoptheharm.com/events/2023/2/16/black-balloon-day-2023
Overdose Lifeline. (2022). Black Balloon Day. Retrieved from https://www.overdoselifeline.org/events/black-balloon-day/#:~:text=Diane%20and%20Lauren%20Hurley%20began,death%20in%20the%20United%20States.
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