Naloxone Program
- The Naloxone Program began in June 2014 through a partnership among the Middlesex-London Health Unit, Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, the London Area Network of Substance Users, and the London InterCommunity Health Centre.
- This program is supported by the Ontario Ministry of Health.
What is Naloxone?
Naloxone (sometimes referred to as Narcan) is a medication that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose. It works by blocking opioids from attaching to receptors in the brain and body, restoring breathing and preventing brain damage or death.
- In Middlesex-London, naloxone is given by injection (into the arm or thigh).
- A second dose may be needed after 3–5 minutes if the person doesn’t respond.
- Anytime Naloxone is given, ALWAYS CALL 911 and start basic life support. Naloxone only lasts 30 to 90 minutes, and overdose symptoms may return once it wears off.
- Did you know? The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides some legal protection for individuals who seek help during an overdose emergency.
- Check out the Harm Reduction and Naloxone training slides (PDF)
How the Naloxone Program Works
Through the Naloxone Program, people who are at risk of overdose, and those close to them, are trained to give naloxone in an emergency. Our goal is to make sure that people who use drugs have someone nearby who is trained and ready to help.
Participants receive a free, pocket-sized overdose prevention kit with:
- two doses of naloxone
- basic instructions for overdose response
Similar overdose prevention programs in Ontario, and around the world, provide training in basic lifesaving skills and naloxone administration within peer groups. Once trained, individuals are given a pocket-sized overdose prevention kit which includes two doses of naloxone.
How to Get Trained
If you are an individual at risk of opioid overdose, or currently using opioids, and are interested in being trained to save a life, visit the website of Carepoint Consumption and Treatment Services.
Training Schedule:
- Middlesex-London Health Unit
355 Wellington St., London (inside Citi Plaza)
Monday to Friday, 8:30AM to 4:30PM - Carepoint
446 York St., London
Monday to Sunday, 8:30AM to 9:00PM
Community-Based Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs Providing Naloxone — United States, 2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, February 17, 2012 / 61(06); 101-105.
Evaluation of the Take Home Naloxone Demonstration Project. Professor Trevor Bennett and Dr Katy Holloway/ Centre for Criminology, University of Glamorgan. Welsh Assembly Government Social Research, 2011
Stopping Overdose: Peer-Based Distribution of Naloxone. Roxanne Saucier, Open Society Foundations Public Health Program. March 2011