City of Leduc observes National Addictions Awareness Week

The City of Leduc is recognizing National Addictions Awareness Week from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, 2018. The annual observance raises awareness of substance use disorder and seeks to remind people that addiction does not discriminate – if affects all walks of life.

The city has launched a week-long social media campaign aimed at reducing the stigma often associated with substance use disorder, and educating residents regarding topics such as the biology of addiction, the benefits of harm reduction and the realities of recovery from substance use.

According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, substance use disorder is a health condition that affects one in ten Canadians from all ages and walks of life. It can be successfully treated, however the stigma faced by those with problematic substance use often prevents them from seeking help to enter recovery.

The City of Leduc aims to reduce stigma and promote harm reduction through its Opioid Response Framework which has been developed as part of a provincial grant received earlier this year. To this end, the city has employed a Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator who is tasked with providing relevant services to the community, facilitating public education opportunities regarding substance use and offering support and access to resources for those who are living with substance use disorder.

Leduc is a welcoming, inclusive and caring community where we believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and to have access to appropriate health services. As part of our commitment to create a compassionate, drug aware and resilient community, we are pleased to participate in National Addictions Awareness Week and provide our community members the opportunity to start conversations about what can be done to reduce the stigma and offer support to all members of our community.

— 30 —

Leduc is a mid-sized city of more than 30,400 citizens next door to the Edmonton International Airport along Highway 2 and 15 minutes south of Edmonton. Leduc’s average five-year growth rate is 4.8 per cent, and from 2006 to 2016 this city grew by more than 13,500 residents (80 per cent). Visit Leduc.ca for more information.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Natalie Lang, Communications Associate
780–980–7179
nlang@leduc.ca