Naloxone training paying off
Regional police officer has already saved a life of overdose victim
Training Cape Breton Regional Police Service officers to administer naloxone has already paid off by saving the life of someone who overdosed on a narcotic, Chief Peter McIsaac says.
McIsaac told a meeting of the board police commissioners Tuesday that about three weeks ago an officer administered the naloxone nasal spray at a scene. Naloxone can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid drug overdose.
“They came to the scene of a person who was quite in distress and they administered naloxone and it probably saved their life,” McIsaac said.
The police force has trained and outfitted its members with naloxone kits to deal with the anticipated impact of the powerful drug fentanyl. It is a synthetic opioid similar to morphine but 50 to 100 times more potent and which has been increasingly linked to sudden deaths across the country.
The regional police recently had its first drug seizure involving fentanyl.
Officers were provided with the naloxone nasal spray to carry with them in the course of their duties, both for their own protection in responding to crime scenes and in dealing with suspected opioid overdoses.
Exposure to only a couple of granules of fentanyl can cause an overdose. The drug doesn’t have to be inhaled or taken orally, it can be absorbed through the skin.
Staff Sgt. Philip Ross said he believes the regional police service is at the forefront of policing agencies in terms of training officers to deal with the arrival of fentanyl.
He added the identification section had been trained in how to properly search residences with members wearing breathing apparatus and safety suits.
“It’s in our community, it’s in every community across the country, unfortunately,” McIsaac said.
“As a parent and as a member of the commission, it’s a terrifying idea so it’s comforting to know that you’re going to be fully prepared,” commission chair Earlene MacMullin said.
The CBRM has historically had higher rates of opioid abuse than other parts of the province.
The police service has been involved in a pilot project with mental health and addiction services involving the distribution of naloxone kits to various service providers.
There were about 60 overdose deaths in the province last year, including multiple deaths due to fentanyl.