How do you save a life?
Many at the Lighthouse Soup Kitchen and Shelter today learned the answer to that important question.
Attendees at an event were shown how to use a naloxone kit in case they come across a friend, family member or stranger who is suffering from an overdose.
“I don’t use opioids myself, but I have friends that do,” said Rick, who did not want his last name used. “It’s useful to have one (kit) with you if you need it.”
Carolyn Jones, a public health nurse with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU), talked Thursday to a room packed with shelter users about the prevalence of opioids in the area and the use of naloxone kits.
She also demonstrated how to use the life-saving kits, which contain two nasal spray units with naloxone, a drug that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose.
Each kit includes an instruction sheet which guides the reader step-by-step, from recognizing an overdose to using the nasal spray to revive a person.
Jones said some signs of an overdose are that the person can’t be woken up, his/her breathing has slowed or stopped, and the person’s nails and lips may have turned blue or purple.
The next step to take, she said, is to shake the person by the shoulders to get a response. Then, call 911.
“Then, give a few chest compressions, because we want the brain to receive the oxygen in the blood,” Jones said. “Then use the nasal spray. It’s going to work within one to three minutes.”
A second dose is in the kit if the person hasn’t responded to the first one. Kits can be refilled at SMDHU locations.
Once EMS have arrived, Jones said, it’s essential they visit the emergency department because the effects of naloxone only last 30 to 90 minutes after administration.
Drug overdosing can affect all segments of society, she said.
“This event is being held in Orillia because we are the centre of a drug problem that is growing and growing,” Jones said. “We are also here (the Lighthouse) because it is a centre of hope of what is possible in terms of recognizing and rehabilitating lives.”
She did not have statistics specific to Orillia and area but shared Ontario numbers.
“There were 1,053 opioid-related deaths in Ontario from January to October 2017, compared to 694 in the same year before,” she said. “In terms of emergency department visits, from January to December, there were 7,658 visits compared to only 4,000 the year before. It represents a 72% increase.”
Jones said emergency responders are responding to between five and eight overdoses every day.
The event was held with provincial funding from by the Canadian Mental Health Association to the local Human Services Justice Coordinating Committee.
“We thought it would be a good idea to bring the community here and learn about the opioid crisis,” said Beth Johnstone, transition worker with Ontario Works. “This gives them access to learning about and receiving naloxone kits.”
Participants were also invited to share their views on the issue.
“If you guys start giving avenues where people who are suffering can talk, they can be their own advocates,” said Brenda Marr, who is a recovering addict and carries a kit with her.
She also brought her nine-year-old daughter to the event.
“She’s seen me recovering,” said Marr, “so this will teach her to help someone in life.”
The naloxone kit isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning, Jones said.
“First, we want to save a life, then we want to help them change a life,” she said, adding that professional and community support lead to recovery.
“But we need more than just a kit,” said Jones, who believes economic independence helps sustain a healthy life. “I think people have to have that hope planted into them and they need to be ready to reach out and they need to know what’s available when they reach out.”
For more information on naloxone kits, visit simcoemuskokahealth.org.
