CMHA Ontario has submitted recommendations to the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Trade and Skills Development in response to a regulatory consultation on naloxone in workplaces and potential related changes to the Ontario Health and Safety Act. The submission highlights the key role of employers in the drug poisoning crisis and outlines several recommendations for a comprehensive approach for preventing and responding to overdoses in workplaces, including:
- Increasing availability of naloxone at workplaces, along with training and authority to administer naloxone by supervisors and employees
- Normalizing the conversation on substance use and mental health to encourage employees to seek support
- Developing overdose prevention and response policy templates for workplaces and providing incentives for adoption of policies
- Creating an action plan for employers and workplaces to follow to prevent and manage chronic pain among employees regardless of cause of injury leading to pain
To read the full submission, download it here.