Free Naloxone emergency kits and overdose prevention training are now available to Sarnia-Lambton residents.
Lambton Public Health Supervisor Rhonda Galler says Naloxone, also called Narcan, is used to treat a narcotic overdose.
"Friends and family would be trained to recognize the signs of an overdose," says Galler. "After administering the Naloxone they would have to call 911 because it only works for a very short period of time. It counteracts the effects of the opioids and basically brings a person back to life but it will wear off very quickly, likely in about half an hour, and they would need more care after that."
Kits and training are available to opioid users, as well as their friends and families at Lambton Public Health during regular office hours Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
No ID or health card is required.
Opioid misuse has been identified as a serious public health problem locally. In 2013, five of the 11 local opioid-related deaths were due to fentanyl toxicity.
