NaloxHome was born in 2021 by first-year SFU student, Chloe Goodison. After graduating secondary school without learning about BC’s overdose crisis, Chloe saw a hole: despite being in it’s 5th consecutive year as a declared Public Health Crisis, students aren’t learning the signs of an overdose, where to get naloxone, BC's poisoned drug supply, harm reduction, and how to keep each other safe. In fact, the absence of these topics in the curriculum contribute to the deadly stigma around substance use and those who use substances. NaloxHome is led by the belief that knowledge is power, and by learning about issues around us, we are equipped to contribute to their end.
After winning the 2020-2021 SFU Student-Community Engagement Competition, NaloxHome took off in the Tri-Cities region of British Columbia (Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, and Coquitlam). After numerous applications, Chloe selected 17 diverse youth to make up her team as Youth Educators. Each young adult has varying racial backgrounds, gender identities, lived/living experience using drugs, education levels, work, and life experience -- making up an interdiscplinary, well-rounded, and knowledgeable team. These impressive young adults are deployed to present to YOUR organizations, when you book a NaloxHome presentation. Now, NaloxHome has expanded to 40 youth volunteers, successful social media campaigns, community involvement initiatives (trail clean ups, clothing drives) and training sessions for school groups, teams, organizations, and community members.
NaloxHome can be booked by community members to provide a 45 minute, comprehensive presentation to classes and teams. Information is backed and provided by Fraser Health, and inclusive/anti-stigma dialogue has been reviewed by SHARE Society. NaloxHome presentations cater to everyone -- not just those in a relationship with a substance -- because the overdose crisis requires a unanimous effort to combat. There is a role for everyone to play in ending this deadly epidemic.
Now, NaloxHome is a Registered BC Society(#S0078137) and has over 40 youth volunteers. We have reached over 3,000 people in BC with our curriculum. As well, NaloxHome has expanded into the Burnaby School Disctrict with the help of SFU Students from the FentaNIL Project at SFU. NaloxHome has attracted national media attention for our one-of-a-kind, peer-to-peer model of harm reduction education. It's true -- youth learn best from their peers. Teachers and caregivers, let us have the "drugs" chat with your kids for you.Chloe & Alex had a wonderful, engaging & worthwhile presentation and I would encourage all to go to their website to learn more.
Our guest speakers receive a 'Golden Spike' as a thank you gift from the Rotary Club of Port Moody.
