Every 10 hours, someone in Ontario dies due on an opioid overdose.
Last year 865 Ontarians died to opioid-related causes.
Opioid emergencies increased by 19 percent in 2016 and show no signs of slowing.
To help organizations and individuals in Ontario better respond to this evolving crisis, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Ontario has developed a toolkit: Reducing Harms: Recognizing and Responding to Opioid Overdoses in your Organization.
The toolkit provides:
- An overview of the current situation in Ontario related to opioids, naloxone, and opioid-related emergencies, including definitions and facts.
- Explanations of symptoms and who may be at-risk of an opioid overdose.
- Information about where to get naloxone and instructions about how to use it.
- Information about caring for an individual after they receive naloxone.
- Information about supporting employees in the aftermath of an opioid emergency.
- Considerations about implementing a naloxone-delivery policy, including myth-busting information about naloxone administration.
The toolkit was shared by a number of Ontario media outlets this week, including:
- Toronto Star
- CBC News Toronto
- CTV News Toronto
- CTV News Ottawa
- CBC Radio Thunder Bay
- CBC Radio Sudbury
- CBC Radio Kitchener-Waterloo
- CBC Radio London
- CBC Radio Windsor
- CBC Radio Ontario Morning
The guide also generated a significant amount of discussion online. Download the full toolkit for more information.