As the opioid crisis continues to cost lives across the country, a local non-profit group is looking to train Londoners on how to reverse the effects of an overdose.
The Foundation For Responsible Administration of Emergency Medicines, in partnership with the London Health Coalition, will be holding a free 45-minute training session at the London Central Library at 7 p.m. on Monday.
Participants will learn how to properly administer Naloxone to someone suffering from an opioid overdose and will be provided with their own free Naloxone kit.
"About 2,000 people are dying every year in Ontario alone due to opioid overdose. It is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths," said Jeff Hanks, co-chair of the London Health Coalition."The Foundation For Responsible Administration of Emergency Medicines is providing free training and as the London Health Coalition, we think this is really important. It is a great thing to be able to save lives and educate people about the ongoing crisis."
As of Tuesday, 25 people had registered for the training session and Hanks is optimistic that number will grow to 100.
He stressed that opioid addiction can affect people from all walks of life.
"People go into the emergency room for problems, get put on pain medicine, and then they have problems getting off of it... it could be your son, your daughter or your cousin," said Hanks. "Everyone should have a [Naloxone] kit and know how to use one."
Last month, the Ontario Provincial Police police released its Opioids and Overdoses: Impact and Strategies report, which showed a 35 per cent jump in opioid-related deaths during the first quarter of 2019, compared to the same period last year. The report also stated that OPP officers have needed to administer Naloxone 79 times since they began carrying the life-saving drug in September 2017.
Figures released earlier this year by the London Police Service indicated nearly 100 doses of Naloxone were given out by its officers from June to the end of December 2018. A total of 59 people experiencing an overdose were given the drug by officers. Of those, 57 survived. London police officers began carrying Naloxone kits in June 2018.
Roughly 94 per cent of the 4,460 opioid overdose deaths in Canada last year were considered accidental, according to figures from Health Canada.
Anyone interested in registering for the free training session can do so by calling 226-448-3067.
