The Ontario government has announced that at-risk workplaces are now required to have naloxone kits onsite and workers trained to administer naloxone in case of an emergency.
The new requirements came into effect on June 1, 2023, as Ontario is faced with a devastating drug poisoning crisis mainly due to opioids from the unregulated drug supply. In the past three years, 2020 to 2022, there were 7,805 preventable deaths from opioid toxicity. The vast majority were due to accidental overdoses from a toxic drug supply. People working in the construction industry are heavily impacted by the toxic supply of opioids.
CMHA Ontario endorsed increasing naloxone availability and naloxone administration training for workplaces along with providing several other recommendations for preventing and responding to overdose in a submission to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Naloxone is an essential harm reduction tool in workplaces which will save lives and help fight stigma around substance use.
Deaths from opioid-related overdoses are preventable. Opioid drugs affect the part of the brain that controls breathing. Opioids that are obtained from the unregulated drug supply contain very strong opioids such as fentanyl, putting people at a high risk of losing control of their breathing. When opioids slow down breathing to the point that the person becomes unconsciousness, it can be fatal unless medical help is provided immediately.
Naloxone is a non-prescription medication that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose. It can be given as an injection or nasal spray. Naloxone is safe to handle and with training, it is not hard to administer to someone experiencing an overdose. Naloxone is a part of emergency life saving measures, similar to CPR or using a defibrillator.
Information on how to recognize an overdose, how to care for someone after they receive naloxone, and other useful tips can be found in the CMHA Ontario toolkit Reducing Harms: Recognizing and Responding to Opioid Overdoses in Your Organization.
Find out where to get a free naloxone kit here.
To read more, please see the 2019 CMHA Ontario Mental Health Works report: Impairment in the Workplace.