Stimulus Connect

What is Stimulus Connect

Stimulus Connect is not just another webinar, it is an opportunity for Canadian stakeholders in harm reduction and drug policy to come together, learn, and network on specific topics. We strive to provide an online space where authentic connections are made on issues that affect us all. In addition to pulling together key contacts to discuss the topic we also gather related journal articles, resources, media and tools and provide these resources along with the #StimulusConnect recording on our website.

#StimulusConnect topics are curated in consultation with the Stimulus National Implementation and Planning (SNIP) Committee and their Executive Committee. A group of key stakeholders are then brought together to collaboratively plan the content, speakers and methods of each event. As with other Stimulus program activities we work from a framework of Nothing About Us Without Us. Stimulus Connects include English/French simultaneous interpretation.

Safer Bathrooms: Stimulus Connect 22

December 8, 2022

10am - noon Pacific | 11am - 1pm Mountain | noon - 2pm Central | 1 - 3pm Eastern

2 - 4 pm Atlantic | 2:30 - 4:30pm Newfoundland & Labrador

People use drugs in bathrooms for a range of reasons. Responding to an overdose in a bathroom is tricky and there are ways of making bathrooms safer. Join us as we learn and discuss the Safer Bathroom Toolkit, which aims to make life saving changes to washrooms in the midst of the toxic drug supply crisis.

Register

Resources:

  1. Article: Saving Lives One Bathroom at a Time: A new toolkit aims to helps businesses and organizations make bathrooms safer and equip staff to deal with drug poisonings. November 22, 2022
  2. Read: Drug overdoses in public bathrooms are common: new tools could prevent harm and improve response October 11, 2022
  3. Read: Drug overdoses in public bathrooms are common: here’s how we could prevent harm, October 2022
  4. Poster: Episodic Overdose Prevention Service
  5. Watch: Hey Pal,..You Ok? Safer Washrooms & Episodic OPS, September 8, 2021
  6. Read: Blue lights meant to deter drug use removed at St. Paul’s Hospital after concerns about possible harm, stigma, September 10, 2020
  7. Bathroom Monitoring Tools:
    1. Brave Sensors: Overdose Detection for Public Bathrooms
    2. Live Saver Alert
  8. Position Statement: Blue lights in public washrooms, October 29, 2019
  9. Read: More overdoses are happening in public washrooms and Vancouver wants businesses to know they can help, August 24, 2019
  10. Journal Article: Public restrooms and the opioid epidemic, August 1, 2019
  11. Read: How Technology Is Rapidly Advancing Overdose-Resistant Bathrooms, May 14, 2019
  12. Read: Safer Consumption Spaces: Winnipeg Consultation & Needs Assessment, 2019
  13. Read: The Consequences of Blue Lights in Public Washrooms, March 19, 2019
  14. Report: Safer Washroom Evaluation: Healthy Sexuality & Harm Reduction, WRHA, February 2019
  15. Read: Opioid Overdoses in Public Bathrooms: Service Workers Respond September 21, 2018
  16. Journal Article: Drug use in business bathrooms: An exploratory study of manager encounters in New York City, January 2017
  17. Read: Washroom Design and Monitoring, September 2016
  18. Listen: Bathroom Etiquette: Injecting at the Exchange Part 1 and Part 2
  19. Read: Operational Procedure: Safe Use of Health Facility Washroom by Clients, December 2018

Watch: Stimulus Connect 15: Spotting, October 20, 2021

Harm Reduction in Québec: Stimulus Connect 21

November 29, 2022

The portrait of harm reduction in Quebec stands out from the rest of Canada, from the language barrier, to the culture, and the unique relationship the province has with the federal government. Join us on November 29 to learn about different perspectives from harm reductionists who work in the field in Quebec.

This session is specifically designed for people living in Quebec, francophones, and communities in the rest of Canada who want to learn more about the realities of harm reduction and decrim in Quebec.

Join us on November 29 as we Connect.

Resources:

French Resources:

    1. Soutien clinique et organisationnel en dépendance et itinérance (Clinical and organizational support in addiction and homelessness
    2. Outils cliniques et formations (Clinical tools and training)
    3. Approviseionnement plus: Sécuritaire de stimulants (More Secure Supply: Safe Supply of Stimulants)

Previous Stimulus Connects

Woman during a sunset. Image overlain with graphic banner reading "stimulus connect"

Stimulus Connect 20: Reporting Done Right

Stimulus Connect 19: Prisons

Stimulus Connect 18: Connecting with Connect

Debris after a forest fire in B.C.

Stimulus Connect 17: Emergency

March 3, 2022 Harm Reduction groups have never had to deal…
Speakers for Stimulus Connect 16

Stimulus Connect 16: Thresholds and Necessity Trafficking

January 20, 2022 Decriminalization Done Right: A Rights-Based…

Stimulus Connect 15: Spotting

Join us for the launch of an educational animation about spotting—an overdose prevention method done by phone or video call.
Three people standing outside BC Supreme Court holding a piece of paper

Stimulus Connect 14: Drug Decrim Canada

It’s time to decriminalize drugs across Canada. The Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs (CAPUD) is suing Canada to remove criminal penalties on drug use!
A crowd of people with signs raising their fists at a rally

Stimulus Connect 13: Recognizing Expertise

People who use drugs are the experts in their own experience and the drug policies that fuel harm.
a bottle of pills on an orange background

Stimulus Connect 12: Benefits of Stimulants

“80 to 90 percent of people are not negatively affected by drugs, but in the scientific literature nearly 100 percent of the reports are negative.” Dr. Carl Hart

Previous Webinars

Make it Queer: Intro to Harm Reduction through a Gender and Sexual Diversity Lens

In this webinar, four speakers present different aspects and international models surrounding decriminalization of drug possession for personal use.

The Canadian Prison System: Realities and Innovative Practices

April 22, 2021 Today, harm reduction is slowly making…

Decriminalization: Beyond the Buzzword

In this webinar, four speakers present different aspects and international models surrounding decriminalization of drug possession for personal use.

When Harm Reduction Loses its Authenticity

In addition to speaking to its philosophy, principles and values, this webinar will provide insights into various practices and the creation of safe spaces for people who use drugs.