A used naloxone kit is seen on a sidewalk as paramedics from B.C. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)
Some City of Winnipeg staff are now trained to administer an opioid overdose-reversing drug as part of their first aid procedures.
The city says staff in select facilities can now administer Naloxone in response to suspected opioid overdoses.
Naloxone is a fast-acting drug that can temporarily reverse the effects of opioid overdoses, and restore breathing within two to five minutes. Naloxone works to reverse the effects of such opioids as fentanyl, heroin, morphine, or codeine.
Staff working at recreation and leisure centres, indoor pools, fitness centres and libraries can administer nasal spray Naloxone while waiting for emergency services.
On Tuesday, Winnipeg police reported an incident where a 26-year-old man was given Naloxone by police cadets while unconscious in a Graham Avenue bus shelter on Monday evening. Police say the man had overdosed on a fentanyl-based street drug known as “down.” He was transported to the hospital in stable condition and is expected to recover.
