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Toronto’s Drug Checking Service

@drugchecking

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We offer free and anonymous drug checking to people who use drugs in downtown Toronto. Info on the service, drug trends, resources and more below 👇

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Yesterday, South Riverdale Community Health Centre, our partner organizations, and the community, came together for International Overdose Awareness Day. We took the time at this event to honour the lives of those we have lost to overdose, provide support to those impacted by the overdose crisis, and share vital resources.

Thank you to everyone that joined us and showed their support and to all of our community partner organizations that participated in this event.

We appreciate the support and this event was a great reminder that we are stronger when we stand together! 💜

#InternationalOverdoseAwarenessDay #IOAD #OverdoseAwareness #OverdosePrevention #ReduceTheStigma #HealthEquity #MossPark #SouthRiverdaleCHC #SRCHC

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Thank you to everyone who joined us for International Overdose Awareness Day. 💜

Today, we gathered in community to honour the lives of those lost to overdose, support one another and reaffirm our commitment to harm reduction, compassion and care.

We’re grateful to everyone who stopped by Moss Park to connect, participate in activities, access resources and Hep C testing, and take a moment to remember loved ones.

A heartfelt thank you to our community partners for helping make this day possible, and to MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam for stopping by in support of our community.

If you’re taking a moment to reflect this evening, look up as the CN Tower lights up purple in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day.

#IOAD2026
#OverdoseAware
#EndOverdose

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Today on #InternationalOverdoseAwarenessDay, we honour those we’ve lost to the opioid toxicity epidemic and stand with the friends, families and communities who continue to grieve. Overdose still has a devastating impact, and compassion, awareness and collective action matter more than ever.

If you see someone experiencing an overdose:

✅ Call 911
✅ Administer naloxone (available for free at participating pharmacies)
✅ Stay with the person until help arrives

Together, we can save lives, reduce stigma and build healthier, safer communities. Let’s work together toward a future where days like #InternationalOverdoseAwarenessDay are no longer needed.

Learn more: www.toronto.ca/OverdosePrevention

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Join us on Monday, August 31st as we come together with community organizations across Toronto to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day.

Street Haven will be on-site at the IOAD community event in Moss Park from 11 AM – 3 PM, alongside information booths, a memorial banner, activities, and food for all who attend.

📆 Date: Monday, August 31
⏰ Time: 11 AM – 3 PM
📍 Location: Moss Park – Northwest Corner by the Baseball Diamond, Shuter Street

This day is about honouring lives lost, supporting those still struggling, and standing together as a community. Bring your friends and family, everyone is welcome.

We hope to see you there. And if you are unable to attend, head down to see the CN Tower lit up in purple to commemorate the day.

#IOAD2026 #EndOverdose #StreetHaven #EndTheStigma #MossPark

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Join us August 31 for International Overdose Awareness Day as we come together with our community to honour loved ones. 💜

Stop by for community booths, activities, food and opportunities for connection. Sherbourne Health will be offering private Hep C testing on site.

📆 Monday, August 31, 2026
⏰ 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
📍 Moss Park, 151 Shuter St

Everyone is welcome. If you're unable to attend, we invite you to pause and reflect as the CN Tower lights up purple in recognition of the day and in honour of those lost to overdose.

Thank you to our partners Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, PASAN, Regent Park Community Health Centre, South Riverdale Community Health Centre, Street Haven, Street Health, Fred Victor, Toronto Drug Checking and The Neighbourhood Group.

#IOAD2026
#OverdoseAware
#EndOverdose International Overdose Awareness Day A pressed purple flower and leaf.

Join us in Moss Park for a day of remembrance as our community comes together to honour those we have lost.

Enjoy community booths, a memorial banner, activities and food for all attendees.

August 31, 2026.
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Moss Park - Northwest corner by the baseball diamond on Shuter Street.

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Harm Reduction Facts People Don't Like Hearing.

Some of these statements shouldn't be controversial, but they still are.

People who use drugs are not disposable.
Naloxone doesn't cause substance use.
Harm reduction doesn't require abstinence.
Recovery and harm reduction can exist together.
Healthcare should not be conditional on sobriety.
And keeping someone alive is always worth doing.

People with lived experience aren't just “people who need help.” They are educators, advocates, caregivers, neighbours, friends, workers, volunteers, and lifesavers.

We don't have to agree with someone's choices to believe they deserve to survive them.

Harm reduction isn't about approving of drug use. It's about recognizing reality, reducing preventable harm, and keeping people alive.

And sometimes, the facts make people uncomfortable because they challenge the assumptions we've been taught.

But discomfort isn't a reason to ignore evidence.

People deserve dignity before, during, and after substance use.
People deserve healthcare without having to prove they are “worthy” of it.
People deserve support without having to earn compassion.
And people deserve to be alive.

That shouldn't be a radical statement.

Harm reduction is healthcare.
Harm reduction is dignity.
Harm reduction is community care.
Harm reduction is keeping people alive. 💚

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#HarmReduction #HarmReductionWorks #PeopleWhoUseDrugs #LivedExperience #OverdosePrevention

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🚨 DRUG ALERT – NITAZENES DETECTED IN HALTON REGION 🚨

Halton Region has issued an opioid alert after nitazenes, a group of highly potent synthetic opioids, were detected in the unregulated drug supply.

Nitazenes can significantly increase the risk of overdose, and overdoses may be more difficult to reverse, potentially requiring multiple doses of naloxone.

Recent drug-checking data from Toronto also found nitazenes in some expected fentanyl samples, alongside ongoing contamination with veterinary tranquilizers and benzodiazepine-related substances.

💜 Please take extra precautions:
• Carry naloxone and make sure others know where it is
• Avoid using alone — use with someone you trust
• Start low and go slow
• Test your drugs whenever possible
• If someone is unresponsive or not breathing normally, give naloxone and call 911
• Consider using the National Overdose Response Service (NORS): 1-888-688-6677

The unregulated drug supply continues to be toxic, unpredictable, and increasingly complex. No one should have to navigate this alone. 💜

#DrugAlert #sopenhamilton #HarmReduction #Naloxone #OverdosePrevention

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🚨 DRUG ALERT: Increased Sedation Being Reported 🚨

Community partners are reporting higher-than-usual sedation, including people becoming extremely sleepy or unresponsive after using drugs. Reported signs include shallow breathing, blue/grey lips or skin, and unresponsiveness.

There are also reports of drugs believed to be methamphetamine containing fentanyl, along with recent drug-checking findings of veterinary tranquilizers and benzodiazepine-related substances in fentanyl samples. This highlights how unpredictable the unregulated drug supply continues to be.

💜 If you use drugs:
• Avoid using alone — use with a friend or have someone check in
• Start low and go slow
• Test your drugs when possible
• Carry naloxone and make sure those around you know how to use it
• If someone is unresponsive or breathing is slow/shallow, give naloxone and call 911

📞 You can also call the National Overdose Response Service (NORS) at 1-888-688-6677 for overdose prevention support.

The drug supply is unpredictable. Stay safer. Stay connected. Carry naloxone. 💜

#DrugAlert #HarmReduction #Naloxone #OverdosePrevention #SOPENHamilton

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Pride is so more than a parade. It’s a celebration of resilience, identity, and the power of community.

Drop-ins and accessible community spaces have long been lifelines for 2SLGBTQIA+ people: places to find safety, warmth, food, friendship, and care.
This Pride, we honour the roots of queer and trans organizing, and the role that low-barrier, welcoming spaces like drop-ins continue to play in making sure no one is left behind.

In this resource, we highlight drop-ins from our network that offer 2SLGBTQIA+ programs and resources. We’ve also put together some resources to support people during the 2026 Pride Toronto Festival through a harm reduction approach.

Find a PDF version of the resource on the TDIN website: https://tdin.ca/resource?id=893

Happy Pride, from the Toronto Drop-In Network

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Lots of overdoses/poisonings happening in.both the City of Guelph and all over the County of Wellington.

Due to the unpredictability of the drug supply, it is not always clear what kind of medical emergency is happening.

Here's what you can always do:

⚡️Check on everyone! If someone doesn't look ok, check in to see. Gently at first - not to scare.

⚡️If a medical emergency - call 911. With all the construction downtown, this is important to do asap.

⚡️Administer Naloxone always if a substance use overdose is suspected (if it's something else, Naloxone won't make anything worse).

⚡️Provide rescue breaths if someone is not adequately breathing on their own - until EMS arrives or the person regains the ability to adequately breathe on their own.

⚡️ Don't just walk by!

Message us anytime for questions of how to respond, to debrief after an intervention, or visit our van if you need to restock on naloxone or chat!

Be safe and take care of one another 💚

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⚠️ DRUG ALERT ⚠️

We continue to see reports of fentanyl contaminated with tranquilizers, including medetomidine, in the unregulated drug supply. These substances can cause prolonged sedation and increase overdose risk. The drug supply remains toxic and unpredictable.

✨ Avoid using alone
✨ Start low and go slow
✨ Carry naloxone
✨ Use drug checking services when possible
✨ Consider using with someone you trust or call the National Overdose Response Service (NORS) at 1-888-688-6677

People who use drugs deserve safety, dignity, and access to harm reduction supports. Please share to help keep our community informed. #hamont #sopenhamilton #drugtesting #harmreduction #drugalert

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