OC Transpo overdose response a sign of increased drug use in public: advocate

Officers with OC Transpo's special constable unit responded to nearly 50 overdoses in 2022, which one advocate believes is a sign of the worsening opioid crisis.

Chief Special Constable Tracey McRae presented data to the transit commission last week that showed special constables administered naloxone 48 times in 2022, among more than 600 medical calls throughout the year.

Last year was the first time OC Transpo reported how many times constables administered naloxone, a drug that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

All special constables are trained in how to administer the drug during an overdose, McRae said, as well as how to "institute oxygen management, nasal intubations [and] crash kits, which allows us the opportunity to experience more saving lives than the other way."

Constables respond to incidents that are happening on buses, in bus stops or stations, and along bus routes, the city said, but it could not provide exact locations of where constables responded. 

The unit's calls can come from the public, bus drivers, other transit staff, emergency call boxes or payphones. 

Overdoses in public places more common

The dozens of naloxone kits administered by OC Transpo's constables last year should "raise some alarm bells," said Leila Attar, a former harm reduction worker in Ottawa. 

Attar, who has been involved in harm reduction and overdose prevention efforts in the city for the past six years, said drug use in a public space, such as a bus or bus station, has become more common.

This could be a survival mechanism to avoid overdosing alone, she said.

"We're going to be seeing overdoses in much more public places that we might not typically see," said Attar. 

"If you're someone who doesn't have a house and you don't have any sort of security in your day, maybe getting on a bus and going from one end of the city to the other is the safest thing you can do for yourself."

Attar said the overdose crisis is getting worse locally and nationally because of an unregulated drug supply that is "very toxic," where opioids can be laced with fentanyl, carfentanil and benzodiazepine. Several barriers also remain for people wanting to access the services they need, like safe-consumption sites or mental health support. 

Ottawa Public Health reported 94 deaths related to an opioid overdose in the first nine months of 2022. Data from OPH also shows there were 846 emergency department visits last year due to opioid overdose.

Attar also encouraged residents to carry naloxone kits, which she likens to a first aid kit. She credited a fellow passerby for carrying one recently, which helped save someone overdosing on the street.