Our Mission

The Substance Overdose Prevention and Education Network (SOPEN) is a volunteer-led and community-based organization. We are committed to mutual aid and reciprocally sharing knowledge about harm reduction and the toxic drug crisis in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in a non-judgmental and compassionate way

Our Goals

To provide accessible education and resources about harm reduction and drug poisoning prevention and response

Our Values

Community Care

SOPEN fosters an inclusive environment, removing barriers to education and resources for harm reduction. We empower people to prioritize safety and well-being

Social Justice

SOPEN promotes human rights and equitable distribution of resources, advocating with marginalized communities, particularly those who use drugs. We challenge stigma, discrimination, and oppressive structures to foster compassionate collective care

Education

SOPEN provides readily available resources and knowledge to empower individuals to make informed decisions about health and safety. Accountability in education is vital for integrity, trust, transparency, and responsiveness, enhancing harm reduction education’s impact on the drug crisis.

Our Vision

We envision a world without overdose related-deaths, and a full and healthy life for people who use drugs

We envision a world where drug policy is rooted in public health, compassionate care, and human rights-based approaches

We envision a world where marginalized groups of people, particularly racialized communities, Indigenous populations and women are no longer overrepresented in the criminal justice system for drug-related offences

We envision a world where drugs are fully decriminalized nationwide and all drugs are legally regulated through various models, including safe supply, compassion clubs, pharmacies, and safe consumption sites

We envision stigma-free and compassionate healthcare in the medical sector

A Word From Our Founders

As students and social workers on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic, we collectively decided to develop better long-term solutions to the drug poisoning crisis through community engagement and mutual aid with like-minded community members and activists. We are passionately committed to reciprocal knowledge sharing in a brave space and we strongly believe that our interactive presentations on overdose prevention, and the importance of harm reduction will make a difference in our community. This movement will save lives and we hope you will join us.

interactive workshops on drug poisoning prevention and response

fentanyl testing strips distributed

community events where we have built relationships with community

naloxone kits distributed

naloxone trainings provided