Get naloxone – no matter how you choose to consume.
That’s the message from the BC Centre for Disease Control, which is advising people in New West who use drugs to get trained in overdose response and pick up a Take Home Naloxone kit.
“We are dealing with a toxic illegal drug supply. Having a kit and knowing how to use it can save a life. In fact, we know that thanks to the heroic efforts of so many, thousands of lives have been saved,” said New West MLA Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, in a news release. “My heartfelt thanks to everyone who works tirelessly on the frontlines to train, teach and administer Naloxone.”
The warning stems from results of a 2018 survey of people who use drugs in B.C. and research published recently in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The survey, conducted by the harm reduction team at the BCCDC, found that people who reported smoking or snorting drugs as their preferred method of drug use were half as likely to carry naloxone as those who preferred injecting. This was true even after taking several factors into account including gender, age, and type of drug used.
The unpredictability of the street drug supply puts people at risk. Data in B.C. show that people who smoke or snort opioids are experiencing overdoses and dying. While uncommon, there have also been reports of fentanyl-related deaths among people using stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine.
Take Home Naloxone kits are available free of charge at hundreds of locations across the province and can be found using the site finderon Toward The Heart.
