First-ever conference on substance use in Nunavik set for June
To be held in Kuujjuaq; event is open to public and registration closes April 20
Nunavik’s health board is teaming up with Isuarsivik to host a regional conference on substance use in Kuujjuaq this summer. (File photo by Cedric Gallant, special to Nunatsiaq News)
A first-ever conference in Nunavik to address substance use and addiction in the region will be held later this year.
The Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services and Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre are teaming up to host the Ungammuatuq conference, which means “moving forward” in Inuktitut.
It will be held June 26 to 29 in Kuujjuaq at the new Isuarsivik building. Other activities will be on the land and at the Kuujjuaq Forum.
The aim is to break the stigma around substance use and addictions, says Virginie Richard, the health board’s communications officer.
Discussion topics include roots of addiction, addressing stigma, introduction to harm reduction, overdose response and prevention training.
“People who use drugs and/or alcohol, as well as their loved ones, are often victims of stigmatization and this contributes to their isolation, feelings of powerlessness and hinders access to services that could help them,” Richard said in an email.
“It’s time to open up this conversation at the regional level from a perspective of inclusion, harm reduction, trauma-informed care and cultural safety.”
Richard said the conference is open to anyone from the general public in Nunavik who is interested in learning.
The deadline to register is April 20 at 5 p.m. ET.
“This is not a conference for professionals only, in fact it’s the opposite,” she said.
“Priority will be given to Nunavimmiut who do not have access to training that addresses substance use and addiction.”
Registration is online on the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services’ website.
Ungammuatuk means heading towards away from your previous location or home etc…
Another mistranslation is, meaning of moving forward=sivumuartuk 🙂
Yes I agree, You are right that’s why it’s a much needed conference.
Like moving, from house to coop store, back to house , to jail or hospital, if Lucky , free flight to Montreal on medivac, no funeral needed.
Nunavut really needs this, maybe not until some really bad stuff goes on…..wait..
Good on you Nunavuk!!!
This is a joke. The first conference on substance abuse in Nunavik. There been about a million talks on this for the last 30 or 40 years, when does it get named as a conference, only when we get an expert telling us so. A joke that keeps going around, oh wait , someone will call it a successful conference, to justify the account book on this, as usual. The end.
Someone will indeed do that, and the media will be there to put it on blast, never asking a single question. *Poof* conditions set to repeat charade next year.
I get it by the name of the conference, once “ungammuatuk” must come back and its called “mitsimuartuk”… much needed conference in every community indeed!
Why not have this in Hawaii? Or is that only for board members and staff?
Old habits are hard to break, what with the newly open multi-million dollar treatment centre just opened the timing is right to raise the subject of alcohol and substance abuse/dependency in Nunavik, best wishes/much success
Talking about alcohol and substance abuse at the newly opened treatment Center, what else do we talk about at a facility like that, maybe we could talk about gambling, like bingo, and how it goes well with Thursday night drunkenness. Whata ya say, b- good.
a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behaviour, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence : the state of being addicted
Definition glory be with you. Definition as you put it appears straight forward. But taking a closer look and getting the description for it to fit requires the element of choice from a human being. Choice could mean taking the first drink, knowing it’s trouble. As by the definition, it really impossible to have that definition, if a human does not consume. It’s no less or more than say gas in the skidoo. Used and even abused according to choice of being driven. So alcohol alone does nothing to anyone with outside choice. We should not even determine what it is in that way because the problem gets removed and responsibility of the consumer gets tossed out too.
Say again: Nunavik’s issue with alcohol, is not so much alcoholic, as it is problematic drinkers who just can’t handle it. A few drinks and they’re in trouble with the law for violating someone, or drinking driving , whatever. Just after a few too. No delirium tremors, or emergencies, don’t see it with those who are always licked up every other week or month. When we hear definitions and labels, we have to be very careful, as it has a tendency to remove responsibility from the troubke maker. If the definition is somewhat relieving the trouble maker from a bad choice that he or she made, then something is missed, and we’re clearly see alcoholism confused with idiot drinkers who had a few and out to break the law and cause trouble.
It’s the same old people doing it dirty, too.
It’s good to know we will send them all to a town with two bars and a drug dealer on every second house for a conference about substance abuse.. LOL real good idea.