The buddy system that can be a life-saver for swimmers is also being urged for drug users by the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
Their message in an urgent press release is simple – never use drugs alone, to reduce the risk of overdose.
The warning comes in the wake of incidents over the past week in the City of Kawartha Lakes. While the incidents were unrelated, the health unit points to possible contributing factors such as a potent drug supply and using alone.
“While physical distancing and isolating are necessary to slow COVID-19, using substances alone can be dangerous as it may increase the risk of an overdose,” Substances and Harm Reduction Co-ordinator Catherine MacDonald said in the press release.
“Using with a buddy can greatly reduce the risk, since someone else is there to call for emergency assistance or provide naloxone if the need arises.”
Naloxone is an emergency medicine that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, providing crucial time for the victim to get to a hospital for treatment. The health unit and many pharmacies provide free naloxone kids, and additional pick-up points are listed at www.ontario.ca/naloxone.
MacDonald, a Registered Nurse, says anyone who intervenes in an overdose situation is protected under the law. The Good Samaritan Act protects anyone trying to help in an emergency from legal repercussions, while the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects people at the scene of an overdose from being charged with possessing or using drugs.
For those who cannot use drugs with someone else, and those who would feel uncomfortable doing so, there is another resource that can help. The National Overdose Response Service offers a virtual safe consumption program (available at 1-888-668-6677) that lets people who use drugs connect with a NORS representative (on-line or by phone) in an emergency. NORS can then be there for the person if a call for assistance is needed.
MacDonald said that the service offers confidential, non-judgmental support wherever and whenever someone uses drugs.
“It's a great support service that has already saved many lives,” she said,
The health unit offers several important safety tips for anyone using drugs.
Test a small amount of drug before you use. In many cases, overdoses can result from a contaminated or poisoned drug supply of inconsistent (or increased) potency that causes more severe overdose reactions,
Never use alone. If you are alone, contact NORS for support or use a buddy system and call a friend.
Ensure that emergency services can be contacted in the event of an overdose.
Avoid mixing drugs.
The health unit also urges everyone to be aware of the signs of an overdose – very large or very small pupils, slow breathing (or no breathing), cold and clammy skin, blue or purple fingernails or lips, and snoring or gurgling sounds. As well, it is often difficult to wake up a person suffering a drug overdose.