Naloxone anti-overdose kits coming to Cape Breton and Halifax

A drug that can save someone dying of an opiate overdose should be in the hands of Nova Scotians at risk by late January.

A pilot program funded through the Department of Health and Wellness's Mental Health Services will distribute 300 naloxone kits on Cape Breton, and another 200 kits in Halifax.

Naloxone, an injection drug, can temporarily reverse the effect of an opiate overdose by blocking opiate receptors in the nervous system.

Christine Porter, the executive director of the non-profit Ally Centre of Cape Breton, called it one of her best news stories of 2015. 

"We've been waiting for this a long time to happen and I'm just excited that it'll get into the hands of people that really need it, and we won't be losing so many people come 2016," she said in a year-end interview with Information Morning Cape Breton, 

Cape Breton Island has the highest rate of opiate overdoses per capita in Nova Scotia. 

Porter said the Ally Centre's needle exchange program serves at least 150 people. She said anybody who is interested can apply to receive a naloxone kit — which includes two vials of the drug, gloves and needles. 

They'll also go through a 20-minute training session.  

Porter said administering the naloxone is like using an auto-injector pen for a severe allergic reaction. 

Centre hoping kits 'not being used'

Clients will also receive instruction in overdose prevention.

"People have said to me, 'Well, geeze, knowing they have the antidote there, won't they use a whole lot more to get a better buzz and it'll increase their risk of overdose?' And of course research shows that's absolutely not the case," she said.

"They learn a whole lot more than just how to administer naloxone; it's ways to prevent overdose in the first place. Although we're giving everybody these kits, we're kind of hopeful that they're not being used," Porter said.

The Ally Centre is partnering with the Nova Scotia Health Authority to distribute the kits in Cape Breton.

Sam Hodder, manager of Mental Health Services, said a new overdose prevention partnership committee will oversee the naloxone project. The committee includes doctors, EHS staff and police officers.

She hopes members of that committee will spread the word about the program to the people who need it.

"The best way to really get the message out in Cape Breton is through word of mouth," she said.  "Once people have participated, they'll tell a friend, and pass the word along on how they can sign up."

Cape Breton staff should start training for the kits in mid-January and plan to get them to people by the end of the month.