Lanark County buildings will soon have naloxone kits on hand for staff to use in case of a drug poisoning.
The health unit will train county staff on how to issue the overdose-reversing spray in the event of a crisis, to buy more time for paramedics to arrive and potentially save a life.
Director of Social Services Emily Hollington says staff have been advocating for such a program since an overdose took place in the waiting room of one of their offices not long ago.
The health unit says in 2021, 220 people in the region experienced drug poisoning but that number’s likely higher due to underreporting. Additionally, drug use among youth has gone up and nearly 270,000 needles were provided across the 7,000 visits to the health units syringe program.
Story by Grant Deme
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