Kits like this can save lives in the event of an opioid overdose. (Sheena Roszell/650 CKOM)

By Rob Mahon

Overdose Prevention Class

Opioid overdoses remain big problem for paramedics

Aug 12, 2022 | 12:00 PM

With overdoses on the rise in Saskatchewan, and opioids an increasing source of them, paramedics are being called to opioid overdoses on a consistent basis.

In the Prince Albert area, paramedics see overdoses regularly.

“We see them on a regular, routine basis,” said Lyle Karasiuk, director of public affairs for Parkland Ambulance. “There’s no stigma to any part of society, there’s no stigma to any age group or any regionalization.”

That was one of the things Karasiuk stressed most strongly: he didn’t see opioid overdoses as an issue of any one demographic. It’s hitting people of all ages and all social circles. With that in mind, Parkland Ambulance is hosting a virtual first aid class for opioid poisoning emergencies on Aug. 31.

“The Canadian Red Cross has received some funding from Health Canada to educate people on opioid overdoses,” Karasiuk said. “They’re helping them provide some relevant information so they know what to do if there’s a family member or a friend or maybe even a stranger (overdosing).”

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The class is part of the Canadian Red Cross’s Opioid Harm Reduction Project. According to their release, the goal of the project is to “reduce opioid poisoning harm in Canada through education and providing increased access to naloxone.”

“Getting some education, getting some training, knowing how to recognize the emergency and what to do,” said Karasiuk. “Rather than just 911, they can get some help and they can do something about it.”

The course will provide a free naloxone kit for anyone who takes it. Using the kit, according to Karasiuk, is as natural as helping someone if you see them collapse in public and administering CPR until professional help arrives. In that instance, calling 911 is still part of the process, but help in the moment could save lives.

“Naloxone reverses the effects of the opioid, gets the breathing going,” Karasiuk said. “That is the key factor. No matter where they are, the steps the Red Cross is going to teach them with the kit always involve calling 911, always involve activating that emergency response.”

Karasiuk added the sessions are absolutely free and the fact that they’re accessible virtually should make them even easier to attend.

According to the Government of Canada, there were over 29,000 opioid overdose deaths from 2016-2021, but deaths increased sharply (as much as 96 percent) in the first year of the pandemic.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP