Pubdate: Wed, 08 Nov 2017
Source: Revelstoke Times Review (CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 Black Press
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/GUUzNSgH
Website: http://drugsense.org/url/ujMTHNZu
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2139
Author: Marissa Tiel

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

The fentanyl crisis in B.C. continues to worsen.

In the past five years, the province has gone from 12 fentanyl-related
deaths to 823 between between January and August this year.

There have been no fentanyl-related deaths reported in Revelstoke, but
RCMP still believe that the powerful opioid has made its way into the
community.

With the number of fatalities in the province climbing, it makes sense
that community institutions would arm themselves with a resource to
combat opioid overdoses.

Enter: Naloxone.

The drug combats the effects of an opioid overdose, acting fast, but
not long.

Local RCMP and paramedics are equipped to administer the drug. Within
the last year, Revelstoke Fire and Rescue Services got trained and can
administer the drug. And last month, some staff at the high school
received training to go along with the two new Naloxone kits now
sitting in the school's medical room.

"It was very clear that we had a very low probability of the need to
use them, but if we ever had a situation, the consequences of not
having one on site would be extremely high," said principal Greg Kenyon.

The school underwent a risk assesment and the result was that it was
at a low-risk. That shouldn't come as a surprise in a town where there
have been no fentanyl-related deaths reported.

But being prepared isn't a bad thing.

The Naloxone kits even arrived at the school before its first AED, an
automated external defibrillator, which diagnoses life-threatening
heart arrythmias and can treat them through electrical therapy.

While some may question the kits as being an enabler for drug use at a
high school, it would be ridiculous not to have them.

Schools in surrounding districts already have them and Interior Health
is offering support.

Better safe, than sorry.
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MAP posted-by: Matt