Opioid-related harms in Ontario have been on the rise in the last decade. According to Public Health Canada, in 2023 alone 2,593 Ontarians died from opioid-related causes. With the arrival of on Aug.
31, I’m compelled to reflect on a situation I had a few years ago. This experience affected the way I approach conversations about the opioid crisis and the related stigma. I live in a residential, family-oriented neighbourhood in the GTA.
I was out for a walk with my dog one evening, and a woman ran to me asking for help, saying someone overdosed. She also lived in the neighbourhood with her extended family, and to my knowledge there were members of her family suffering from opioid use disorder, including this young woman. I ran home, grabbed my Narcan kit and followed her to a parking lot nearby.
She brought me to a car where there was a person she knew inside. I had to open the door to hear him gurgling and yelled at him, asking if he could hear me. No response.
I gave him one spray of Narcan and instantly he woke up. He was confused and asked what happened. I told him we believed he accidentally overdosed.
They were both very thankful for my help and I’m so glad that I had a Narcan kit readily accessible. As I reflect on that moment, I think about how it took only one dose of Narcan for this person to be revived. It can’t be overstated how simple it was to use the spray.
In Ontario, it’s just as easy to obtain as it is to administer it. Through Ontario’s take home n.
