Fentanyl antidote kits saving lives in Calgary, health officials say

The fentanyl antidote kits that hit the streets in Calgary this summer are already saving lives,health officials say.

"These kits have already saved four lives," Alberta Health Services said in a statement.

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AHSstarted distributing them through street level agencies with its Take Home Naloxone and Safeworksprograms July 7.

Each kit containstwo doses ofnaloxonewhich reverses the effects of a fentanyl overdose.

One hundred have been distributed so far, AHSsays.

The powerfully addictive drug continues to be amajor concern for police and is driving up crime rates, says Staff Sgt.Martin Schiavettaof the Calgary Police Service.

"People who are addicted to fentanyl are robbing banks in our community, breaking into houses, they're stealing cars, they're breaking into businessesit's something that everyone in our society needs to be very, very concerned about," he said.

In the first six months of this year, 45 people in the Calgary area died from fentanyl overdoses,more than traffic collisions and homicides combined, police say.

"The fenantyl abuse that we see in our community, Iwould say is a health crisis," Schiavetta said.

Fentanyl is apowerful opioid, used legitimately in pain management, but since 2012, when oxycontin was made into OxyNeo to stop or deter itsillicituse or abuse, fentanyl has risen in popularity, he says.

It's easily ordered as a powder online, and if it makes it across the border intoCanada, it's reprocessed into tablet form that resembles oxy80, according to Schiavetta.

"And they are sold on the street [in Calgary] for about $20 a tablet," he said.

Thedrugsfoolawareness campaign launched on Aug. 10. It targetsrecreationalusers and addicts, and hashad more than 60,000 visitors since its launch, according to AHS.