Pubdate: Mon, 29 May 2017
Source: Metro (Ottawa, CN ON)
Copyright: 2017 Metro
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/Ottawa
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4032
Author: Ryan Tumilty
Page: 5

ANGLICAN CHURCHES SPREAD THE WORD ON NALOXONE KITS

Over 1,000 trained to use overdose prevention kit

Anglican churches across Ottawa are now spreading a gospel of a
different kind, teaching people to use naloxone to prevent fatal
opioid overdoses.

Rev. Monique Stone held a meeting at her church in Carp earlier this
year, after unsuccessfully trying to get a naloxone kit to have on
hand for New Year's Eve.

Stone tried five pharmacies and found none was offering the free kits.
Eventually, she linked up with Vanier pharmacist Mark Barnes and they
got the idea of hosting a training session.

"Within 24 hours, I said let's just run one of these and see what
happens," said Stone. "It basically blew up in this strange way."

She said that first session had 75 people and after a training session
with local clergy the numbers have only continued to grow and she
believes over 1,000 people have been trained.

"I just basically planted a seed and these workshops just keep going,"
she said. "I no longer even know how many are doing it, because every
time I turn around someone is."

Stone said the church is a unique position to run these training
sessions, because they don't need a complex approval process. "All of
these hoops that other organizations might have we don't have."

She said running the training sessions might seem out of place, but
it's entirely within the churches' mandate.

"Our church communities are involved in the whole person, so why would
we not be involved in this issue, which is a crisis," she said. "We
have a defibrillator here in the church and there is a naloxone kit in
the box."

Stone said she's offered to take anyone, especially young people, to a
pharmacy to get a naloxone kit if they're embarrassed or afraid.

"I have big shoulders. I can take any judgment."

She said the sessions have been a good opportunity for people to ask
questions in an open and non-judgmental place.

She said ideally people wouldn't be using drugs at all, but the church
is preaching safety above all else.

"I'm not talking about church stuff at all at these things," she said.
"We do say don't use drugs, but at the same time we're not preaching
that."
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MAP posted-by: Matt