Join us as we mark International Overdose Awareness Day
Anglicare will host a special event in Devonport, Cranes for Change, to mark International Overdose Awareness Day on Tuesday 31 August.
An exhibition of original artworks and folded origami cranes will be held at RANT Arts, 45-47 Stewart Street between 10.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. It is being held in partnership with the Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council Tasmania and Youth Family and Community Connections.
Regional Manager North/North West Jodie Stokes said Anglicare was delighted to host this event.
“Folding the cranes is a gentle and creative way to remember friends and loved ones lost through accidental overdose and to raise awareness of this issue,” she said.
“We know that more Tasmanians die from accidental overdose per year than they do from car accidents.” *
“It’s also important to note that most of these deaths are likely to be from prescription medicines. This means it’s an issue that affects a broad cross-section of people from all ages and backgrounds and it’s a really important conversation for all of us to have.”
It’s not too late to get involved if you live in or around Devonport:
- Drop into Anglicare’s Devonport office at 31 King Street and collect your free paper crane-folding pack.
- Bring your folded cranes along to RANT Arts on Tuesday 31st and see them incorporated into an art installation.
- If you can’t attend on the day, bring your cranes back to Anglicare prior to Tuesday 31st and we will take them to RANT Arts for you.
Check here for the event details.
Anglicare teams in the North and South will also mark International Overdose Awareness Day.
Social work students on a placement with Anglicare in Launceston are coordinating a figurative sculpture – watch this space for photos to come!
If you’re in Hobart or Glenorchy, call into the Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) facility run by Anglicare at 159 Collins Street, Hobart and at 436 Main Road Glenorchy and write the name of a friend or loved one on an origami heart so that it can be added to a display.
More information
Anglicare is a member of the Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council.
Read its media release here and keep up-to-date with activities on the ATDC Facebook page.
Anglicare staff can provide information on Anglicare’s broader alcohol and drug treatment program (ADATS) and refer people to other Anglicare services (e.g. housing, mental health and financial counselling) on request. Please give us a call on 1800 243 232.
*In Tasmania between 2014 and 2018, 179 people were lost to unintentional overdose compared to 134 car crash fatalities.
Sources: Penington Institute (2020). Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2020. Melbourne: Penington and transport.tas.gov.au/road_safety_and_rules/crash_statistics
PHOTO: Anglicare’s Housing and Community Services team in Devonport encourages the community to participate in this year’s Cranes for Change exhibition. Pictured from left are Tameeka Crawford, Sean Robinson, Ruth Rowlands, Jodie Stokes, Chang Luo, Cameron Stewart and Kristy Clark.
