Aug. 29, 2019
For Immediate Release

Waterloo – Overdose Awareness Day is held every year on Aug. 31 to raise awareness of overdoses and reduce the associated stigma.

Wilfrid Laurier University has several experts available to speak about drug use, addictions, overdoses and related topics.

Bruce McKay, chair and associate professor in the Department of Psychology, is an expert in the behavioural, biological and socio-cultural effects of recreational psychoactive drugs, as well as strategies for harm reduction. He is available to comment on alcohol and drug-use trends and harmful outcomes associated with excessive drug use. Read more about his research. Contact: bmckay@wlu.ca.

Maritt Kirst is an assistant professor in the Community Psychology program at Laurier and an assistant professor (status-only) at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She is an expert in mental health, addictions and homelessness, with a particular interest in making community-based health care and social services more accessible to vulnerable populations. She can be reached at mkirst@wlu.ca or 519.884.0710 x3077.

Laurie A. Manwell, an instructor in Laurier’s Faculty of Science, is an expert in addiction, mental health, stigma and harm-reduction interventions, as well as behavioural neuroscience and psychopharmacology. Her research spans both the natural and social sciences. Her research has focused, in part, on the effects of drug use on behaviour and mental illness. Contact: lmanwell@wlu.ca or 519.884.0710 x2996.