An app that notifies and summons emergency response in the event of a substance overdose has expanded into Airdrie.
The Digital Overdose Response System (DORS) is a mobile phone app that allows users of opioids and other substances to record their locations and set a one-minute timer for when they are using alone. When using the app, Albertans will receive a call from the STARS emergency centre if they do not respond once the timer goes off. If an overdose is suspected, STARS will immediately dispatch emergency medical services to the person’s location.
Samantha Ginter, a harm reduction advocate in Airdrie, said the app is akin to a “virtual” safe consumption site.
“What that means is folks who are using substances alone can go onto this app and start a timer for when they begin using substances to ensure they stay safe,” she said, adding the app will save lives.
While DORS was previously only available in Calgary and Edmonton, the company behind the app’s development – Aware 360 Ltd. – recently announced it would be expanding into some of those cities’ nearby municipalities, including Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, Okotoks, Strathmore, Leduc, and St. Albert. The app is also available for use in Balzac.
According to a press release from the Alberta government, the app will be expanding into other areas of the province throughout 2022.
Ginter said having harm-reduction resources like DORS in bedroom communities is important, as those municipalities often do not have the same level of resources for substance users as in larger cities, despite burgeoning populations and increased deaths linked to overdoses.
“Airdrie doesn’t have a whole lot of resources for addictions to begin with, and we have zero resources here for harm-reduction purposes,” she said.
“It’s highly, highly unlikely that Airdrie will get a supervised consumption site, so having things like DORS is great – especially for the folks who aren’t quite ready to come out and be like, ‘Yes, I use substances.’”
According to dorsapp.ca and the Alberta government, opioid surveillance data from 2020 showed 70 per cent of opioid-related deaths in the province took place in private residences, often among those who were using substances while alone.
This is another reason the app will save lives, according to Ginter.
“A lot of substance use is done behind closed doors, and a lot of folks hide it from those they love and those who could potentially help keep them safe,” she said. “Having an app like this can provide you with even a smidgen of safety to help keep you here until the next day, the next day, and the next day.
“It’s a big reason why I started harm reduction work in Airdrie, because we have nothing [like this], but it happens here,” she added. “Folks need to realize that the more we have this abstinence-based philosophy or this just-say-no philosophy, the more deaths we’re going to have in Airdrie.”
Government data indicated 1,026 accidental opioid overdoses were fatal in Alberta in the first seven months of 2021, including 370 in the Calgary zone.
DORS is available for download on the Apple app store, Google Play, or other app-downloading platforms. The free app can be found by searching Digital Overdose Response System, and its icon includes a heartbeat line and two hands cupping a heart.
According to the DORS website, the app also provides information on national and provincial addiction recovery supports and services, such as the Addiction Helpline, with the intent of providing the app’s users with information they need to move forward on their journey to recovery. The National Overdose Response Service hotline is 1-888-688-NORS (6677).
“Using substances doesn’t mean you don’t have a moral compass,” Ginter said. “It doesn’t mean you’re not succeeding in life.
“To all the people using substances, please reach out and use the resources that are there to stay safe.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
