Feb. 14, 2021 – Naloxone has helped officers save more than 200 lives since 2017, Ontario Provincial Police announced this week.
In a news release issued by OPP, police released data related to opioid-related overdoses and naloxone administration from September 2017 to February 2021.
In the northwest region, there have been 17 occurrences involving the use of naloxone by OPP for a total of 22 injections from 2018 to 2021.
OPP spokesperson Sgt. Mike Golding explained there are instances when officers must administer two shots of naloxone depending on the circumstances.
Throughout the province, 210 lives have been saved by officers administering naloxone. Frontline officers were first equipped with the tool in September 2017.
The majority, 68 per cent, of naloxone recipients were male and 32 per cent were female. The average age of naloxone recipients was approximately 35 for females and 36 for males.
The majority of opioid-related overdoses occurred in the OPP’s Central and West regions.
“People from every age group and every socio-economic background continue to be affected by opioids in Ontario,” OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a news release. “The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act can protect you: if you see an overdose, please call 9-1-1. You can help save a life too.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2021.
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