![]() Shane said the Emergency Medical Aid Act protects people who administer naloxone outside of a health or medical setting, or when the person is not being compensated for their help. Food and Drug Administration says injecting naloxone into a person who may be unconscious for other reasons such as diabetic coma or cardiac arrest would not cause them additional harm. “The outcome will most likely be better than not administering it.” “If you believe someone is overdosing and you’re not sure if it’s an opioid or stimulant overdose, Health Canada recommends administration (of naloxone),” she said. The signs could be shallow breathing, blue or grey lips or nails, small pupils, the inability to wake up despite calling out or shaking the person, and choking or snoring sounds. “That way, you can feel more comfortable doing it.” Shane said it is crucial to know the signs of an overdose to ascertain when to administer naloxone. “Oftentimes, it’s people who just happen to be walking by (and) have naloxone attached to their bag or backpack,” she said. In Alberta, the latest numbers show April was the deadliest month, with 179 deaths from opioid overdoses.Ĭaitlin Shane, a drugs policy lawyer with Pivot Legal Society in Vancouver, said she sees people in the community, as well as health professionals on and off the job helping others who may have overdosed on opioids. More people are carrying naloxone kits with them on the streets as drug poisoning-related fatalities break records every passing year in Canada. Naloxone kits are easily available, over-the-counter antidotes that block the effects of opioids such as fentanyl, heroin, morphine or cocaine. ![]() “I didn’t administer it.”Įmergency crews arrived and brought back the manwho confirmed to her that he had overdosed. “But for some reason, I don’t know why, I hesitated,” she said. ![]() ![]() Porter dialed first responders and reached for her naloxone kit. She approached the man, looked for any drug paraphernalia, called out to him and shook his shoulders. “I saw this fellow lying under a tree and he wasn’t moving,” Porter said. Porter, a retired school teacher in Medicine Hat, Alta., was trained to use both the syringe and nasal versions of the overdose reversal drug, but never ran into an emergency situation until May. Kym Porter has been carrying a naloxone kit in her purse since her son died of an overdose more than six years ago. ![]()
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