O.A.R.S.
OVERDOSE RESPONSE & AWARENESS ST. JOHN’S
Who We Are
Overdose Awareness & Response St. John’s (O.A.R.S.) is a grassroots collective of trained harm reduction advocates, registered nurses, and people with lived experience based in St. John’s.
We are a crowdfunded registered non-profit dependant on community support through GoFundMe that recognizes the inherent agency of people who use substances and supports policies that protect their rights to dignity and bodily autonomy.
Through advocacy and on-the-ground action, our team aims to promote the benefits of a harm reduction-based approach to substance use and demonstrate how such an approach can address the growing overdose crisis in our province.
Where We Are
Since November 2024, OARS has been organizing to establish the first Overdose Prevention Site in St. John’s. These efforts have resulted in the creation of a mobile site, which is set up on a weekly basis in a centralized location in downtown St. John’s.
What We Do
At the site, we have harm reduction supplies, sterile equipment, and team members trained to immediately respond to overdose. Our aim is to prevent overdose deaths, reduce the negative health impacts associated with sharing drug supplies, and provide a space that is safe, accessible, and non-judgemental for all people who wish to use it.
Supplies Available on Site
- Naloxone
- Sterile needles and syringes
- Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
- Alcohol swaps
- Cookers
- Sterile water
- Tourniquets
- Glass pipes
- Mouth pieces
- Push sticks
- Brass screens
- Sharps container
- Safer sex supplies
- Drug-testing kits
- Clothes
- Snacks & water
O.A.R.S. 