Level Up raises awareness about the growing issue of opioid and substance-related harms in labour-intensive industries and offers resources to help support pathways to recovery.
Cause
Opioid and substance awareness
Locations
Canada
Status
Online
Content
The Product
Level Up is a digital education platform for learning more about the toxic drug supply crisis, and for better understanding how it disproportionately impacts people working in labour-intensive industries across Canada. Level Up continues to be developed through ongoing research with people working in labour-intensive industries.
Learners can access the tool by visiting a web address on their phone, tablet, or computer. They will explore information that helps them build a greater understanding of the harms arising from the toxic drug supply crisis, and how this impacts people, especially men, in industry. They will also have the opportunity to explore resources that can be used to support themselves or someone they know that may be struggling with substance use.
Our Rationale
Labour-intensive industry workers, particularly men, are disproportionately negatively impacted by the toxic drug supply crisis in Canada, and the number of opioid-related deaths per day in Canada is increasing, with 2023 figures indicating 22 opioid-related deaths per day.
While one tool cannot address the complex factors associated with opioid and substance related harms, we hope this platform can raise awareness and help improve access to resources and support.
Labour-intensive industries include construction, logistics, transportation, or warehousing, manufacturing (including mining), natural resources (including forestry and logging), trades, transport, equipment operators, and other related occupations.
Industry, along with civil society organizations who distribute the tool through their communications channels will have access to aggregate, non-identifiable insights about their audience, from gameplay data. Our hope is that these insights can be leveraged by organizations in a way that informs their own health promotion activities, service and support design, or other activities related to staff safety and wellbeing, as well as support prospective grant applications where applicable.
The Genesis
Level Up was created by Digital Public Square (DPS) following a series of surveys and focus groups with people working in labour-intensive industries across Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Centering an inclusive product development approach, DPS sought feedback on initial product concept, designs, and prototypes from people with lived and living experience of opioid and/or substance related harms, and continues to do so as the product undergoes further optimization.
Data Insights
We do not collect personally identifiable information (PII) on this website without a player’s consent. This means players are free to remain de-identified when they are learning with us on this platform. We do ask for opt-in demographics data to help us understand whether we're reaching our intended audience.
This project is funded by Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions program. The aggregate data summaries and learnings from this platform will be shared with the funder and other interested industry and health organizations to inform future health services and support.
Level Up in the News
'Getting support': New app offers B.C. construction workers overdose prevention tools, Vancouver Sun.
New digital tool addresses opioid and other substance-related harms in labour-intensive industries, OHS Canada.
Level Up: Taking action on opioid harms in the trades, HPAC Magazine.
Get in touch!
If you anticipate this tool could benefit your workforce and/or community, and wish to learn more about how we can provide you with aggregate data insights for your specific audience, get in touch with us at levelup@digitalpublicsquare.org.
Digital Public Square would like to thank the Substance Use and Addictions Program at Health Canada for their continued support in this work.