Thursday, March 28, 2024

Timer

Overdose treatment

First Published:

[projekktor id=’27111′]

Hamilton police, along with other police forces across the province may soon be carrying a new weapon in their arsenal, one that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Last year, Health Minister Jane Philpott issued an interim order to make the nasal spray form of Naloxone available in this country. It was approved in October and 22 000 kits have already been distributed across the country.

Naloxone has been used for years to counteract opioid overdoses, but police officers were reluctant to carry the syringes with their gear. Now the drug is available as a nasal spray under the brand name Narcan. Its Canadian distributor says it works because opioids stick to certain brain receptors.

“Those receptors are the same ones that tell your body to breathe. Narcan allows the body to regulate its own breathing mechanisms.”

Hamilton Public Health has offered take-home Naloxone in a harm reduction program since 2014. Last year, 185 people in the city were rescued with the drug. But it’s not just for overdosing drug users, Hamilton police and fire officials may carry Narcan to protect themselves in case they accidentally ingest some of the extremely toxic opioids they encounter in their work.

Hamilton and Halton police are still researching Narcan. Waterloo police began training officers in January and hope to receive their kits soon. Peterborough police were the first to start carrying Narcan, they started last December.

More Top News

Evening weather forecast for March 27, 2024

Shelly Marriage shares the forecast for March 27, 2024 and the days ahead.

Sister of man involved in Burlington hit-and-run speaks out

The sister of a man struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run in Burlington on Sunday is speaking out. She says she's not sure if...

Horwath to veto council’s decision not to build affordable housing on Stoney Creek parking lots

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath says she's using her "strong mayor" powers to veto city council's decision not to move forward with a plan to...

Niagara police identify 2 people found dead in St. Catharines home

Niagara police have released the identities of the two people found dead in a home in St. Catharines on Monday. Officers were called to 47...

Ontario international student permits to go to in-demand areas

Ontario will give the vast majority of its allocated international student study permits to post-secondary institutions that offer in-demand programs such as in the...

Sportsline: Hamilton Ticats all-star receiver Tim White on his World Vision trip to Asia

VIDEO: As a sibling of nine in Los Angeles, Tim White and his family lived through some hard times. So when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats...