Oro-Medonte council members are now equipped with naloxone kits in the wake of an impassioned plea from a councillor.
Coun. Shawn Scott, who had a 33-year career in law enforcement, made the pitch at a recent council meeting.
“I don’t think there’s any type of addiction that I didn’t see. This is something completely different,” he said of opioids. “We’ve got people who are accidentally overdosing at a staggering rate.”
Opioids killed more than 9,000 Canadians between January 2016 and June 2018, he noted, adding 94 per cent of overdoses are accidental.
“There’s a lot of perceptions about overdoses — that they’re a druggie. In a lot of cases, that’s not the case,” he said.
It’s not the first time Scott has brought the issue up at council. He previously submitted a report that included a recommendation to equip the township’s firefighters with naloxone, a nasal spray that can temporarily reverse opioid overdoses. That will be happening soon.
“When I was running for council, I wanted to be a strong voice for the community,” he said. “To be a responsible leader, you have to enhance and promote community safety and well-being.”
During the recent council meeting, he came prepared. He had naloxone kits ready to hand out to each of his colleagues. All of them agreed.
“Considering the fact that council members go to all kinds of community events … we have the opportunity to be a first responder,” he said. “I look at this tool to help our community no differently than an AED (automated external defibrillator).”
He cited a study out of Massachusetts that showed a 93.5 per cent success rate when naloxone was used 12,000 times.
“It’s a no-brainer,” he said of council members carrying naloxone. “It’s a very simple process and it’s a highly effective medication. It really isn’t a cumbersome piece of equipment to carry.”
While Oro-Medonte doesn’t experience as high a rate of opioid overdoses as some other municipalities, “all it takes is one,” Scott said.
“Each council has to make its own decision, but I would strongly encourage other municipalities to at least explore their options.”
Naloxone kits can be obtained for free. To find out more, click here.
