PERTH COUNTY – Starting this month, Perth County Paramedic Services is expanding the distribution of Naloxone kits in the region.
A new agreement with Huron Perth Public Health now expands access by allowing all frontline Perth County Paramedics to distribute the kits to people at risk and their loved ones. Paramedics have always been able to administer Naloxone as a treatment to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, and the county’s community paramedics have also had access to the kits for use and distribution.
“Naloxone has proven to be a valuable life-saving treatment tool for our paramedics when responding to potential opioid overdose situation,” said Perth County Paramedic Chief Mike Adair. “This expanded access to Naloxone allows our frontline paramedics the ability to distribute the kits when on calls, will help increase awareness and save more lives.”
Opioid overdoses have risen significantly in recent years across Canada. According to data from Public Health Ontario, in 2021 opioids caused 71 emergency department visits, 22 hospitalizations, and 12 deaths in the Huron-Perth region.
Naloxone kits are easy to administer and come equipped with a set of instructions to guide anyone who may need to administer the product to an opioid overdose victim. The availability of Naloxone kits has expanded significantly in recent years.
If you experience or witness an overdose, call 911 for help.
To learn more about Naloxone and how to recognize an opioid overdose, visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-naloxone-kits-free.
