They’re no bigger than an eyeglasses case, but could save someone’s life. The province has funded 100 take-home kits to help people in Grande Prairie at risk of overdosing on opioid drugs like fentanyl.
HIV North Executive Director Susan Belcourt-Rothe explains that users can come in to get a prescription for naloxone, a drug that can reverse opioid overdoses. They’ll then get training on how to administer it either one-on-one or in a group setting.
“We really want to encourage people to bring their friends or their family members or people that they use drugs with into the office so that we can provide the training to everyone. Obviously if you’re having an overdose, you may not be the person who is going to be injecting; it might be your friend that saves your life.”
The party drug fentanyl was linked to more than 100 deaths in Alberta last year. Belcourt-Rothe says they’ve already had several people ask about the kits.
