Naloxone anti-overdose kits coming to Cape Breton and Halifax

Adrug that can save someonedying of an opiateoverdose should be in the hands of Nova Scotians at risk by late January.

A pilot program funded through the Department of Health and Wellness'sMental Health Services will distribute 300 naloxone kits on Cape Breton, and another 200 kits in Halifax.

Naloxone,an injection drug,can temporarily reverse the effect of an opiateoverdose byblockingopiate receptors in the nervous system.

Christine Porter, the executive directorof the non-profit Ally Centre of Cape Breton, called it one of her best news stories of 2015.

"We've been waiting for this a long time to happenand I'm just excited that it'll get into the hands of people that really need it, and we won't be losing so many people come 2016," she said in a year-end interview with Information Morning Cape Breton,

Cape Breton Island has the highest rate of opiateoverdoses per capita in Nova Scotia.

Porter saidthe Ally Centre's needle exchange program serves at least 150 people.She saidanybody who is interested can apply to receive a naloxonekitwhich includes two vials of the drug, glovesand needles.

They'll also go through a 20-minute training session.

Porter saidadministering the naloxone is likeusing an auto-injector penfor a severe allergic reaction.

Centre hoping kits 'not being used'

Clients will also receive instruction in overdose prevention.

"People have said to me, 'Well, geeze, knowing they have the antidote there, won't they use a whole lot more to get a better buzz and it'll increase their risk of overdose?' And of courseresearch shows that's absolutely not the case," she said.

"They learn a whole lot more than just how to administer naloxone;it's ways to prevent overdose in the first place. Although we're giving everybody these kits, we're kind ofhopeful that they're not being used," Porter said.

The Ally Centre is partnering with the Nova Scotia Health Authority to distribute the kits in Cape Breton.

Sam Hodder,manager of Mental Health Services,saida new overdose prevention partnership committee will oversee the naloxone project. The committee includes doctors, EHS staff and police officers.

She hopes members of that committee will spread the word about the program to the people who needit.

"The best way to really get the message out in Cape Breton is through word of mouth," she said. "Once people have participated, they'll tell a friend, and pass the word along on how they can sign up."

Cape Breton staff should start training for the kits in mid-January and plan to get them to people by the end of the month.