As part of the development of the capacity-building activities of the Réseau montréalais d’échange et de soutien aux initiatives locales (RÉSAL) for the winter of 2025, the ICPC, as a coordinating member, organised an in-person training session on February 20th 2025. Funded by the City of Montréal’s Prévention Montréal program, the event focused on the effects of substances, poly-drug use and overdoses. 

Marc Abi-Raad, a trainer with the Groupe de Recherche et d’Intervention Psychosociale (GRIP), led the course and helped increase knowledge about psychoactive substances. 

Over the course of the day, participants learned how to rigorously classify substances according to their main and sub-categories. The training also enabled them to explore the ways in which psychoactive substances are used and to recognise the signs and symptoms of overdose specific to each category, knowledge that is essential for rapidly identifying emergency situations and intervening effectively. Thanks to this knowledge, they now have a solid basis for taking preventive action and limiting the risks associated with the simultaneous use of drugs. 

Many thanks to Marc Abi-Raad and the participants for the many exchanges that contributed to the success of the event!