Fentanyl overdoses should an antidote be available in Sudbury schools?

With the growing use of opioidsin the province, several school boards in eastern Ontario are considering keeping an antidote naloxone in schools.

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Ottawa Public Health has reached out to addiction counsellors at school boards across the city to inform them about their "Stop Overdose Ottawa" website and campaign.

According to Health Canada,Naloxone can be administered quickly to counter the effects of paindrugsfentanyl or carfentanil, which can be deadly.

However, representatives for the two English school boards in Sudbury say this isn't under consideration at this time.

Community groups being proactive

Elsewhere in the city,ReseauAccess Networkbegan makingthe drug available in January2016 and has handed out 150 kits since then.

CamilleLavoie, anurse with Reseau Access Network, saysonly those who have used opioiddrugs in the last six months or their friends and family can get a naloxone kit from the agency.

When they first started the program, the kits came with an injectable drug, Lavoie says. Thekit contained two vials of naloxone and a syringe and users had to be trained on how to administer the antidote.

Now the kits contain a nasal spray that can deliver the antidote.

Lavoie says the latter will help counteract carfentanil, which is more potent thanfentanyl.

'Working on a plan'

The Sudbury and District Health Unit says it is currently looking at makingnaloxoneavailable to those who may need it in the community.

"We've not approached the school boards yet," said public health nurse BrendaStankiewicz,lead for Sudbury's community drug strategy.

"We are working on a plan."

Making naloxoneavailable to schools is "still within discussion and needs to continueto be discussed," Stankiewiczadded.

Lavoiesays having an antidote to opioidsin schools may be a comfort to parents.

"There is overwhelming fear out there."

She notes the youngest client given a naloxone kit by the Reseau Access Network was nineteen.

Naloxone is also available for free from pharmacists who bill the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. Those kits are usually injectable treatments.

In an email to CBC News, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care says naloxone kits are available free of charge through pharmacies, local public health units, community-based organizations and provincial hepatitis C teams.

The ministry does not distribute naloxoneor training supplies to schools at this time.