Opioid Overdose Awareness & Resources

HOW TO REDUCE THE RISK OF OVERDOSE

SHARE the following tips with friends and family who may use opioids - it could save a life!

1. Don't use alone - use with someone you trust who can call 911 and administer naloxone if you do overdose.

2. Get your drugs tested (if your community offers this service) so you know for sure what you are using. Opioids that have been cut with benzos may cause an overdose that can NOT be reversed using naloxone, so it is important to know if there are benzos in your opioids.

3. Visit a safe injection site or overdose prevention site (again, if there is one in your community - many rural areas sadly have no such services). These sites have staff available to reverse overdoses, call 911, provide emergency medical care, and connect people with case management and addiction treatment services.

The following link contains a map of safe consumption sites across Canada - check if there is one near you!
https://www.pivotlegal.org/scs_ops_map

4. Start LOW and go SLOW. Start by testing a small amount of your drugs to see how it makes you feel. Space out your doses as much as possible.

5. If it's not possible to use with someone you trust, and you have access to a phone, call the NORS hotline at 1-888-688-NORS (6677). A volunteer will set up an emergency plan with you and call 911 on your behalf if you stop responding.
https://www.nors.ca/about

6. ALWAYS CARRY NALOXONE! Even if you are not using opioids, you may run into someone who is. It could be downtown, on the bus, at a bar or restaurant, or in an outdoor area.

WHAT INCREASES THE RISK OF OVERDOSE?

While anyone using opioids (prescription and non-prescription) is at risk of overdose, certain circumstances increase the risk of an opioid overdose.

This includes:
- Using fentanyl, carfentanil, or other street opioids (such as nitazenes)
- Using opioids following a hospital or rehab stay, or being released from a correctional facility
- Using alone
- Mixing opioids with other "downers" like alcohol or benzodiazepines
- Not starting at a low dose and going slow, especially if using drugs from a new dealer

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF OPIOID OVERDOSE

For someone who has never used opioids, it may be difficult to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose. This image from Ottawa Public Health identifies the most common signs someone is overdosing.

NALOXONE

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist used to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. It does NOT reverse overdoses of stimulants or benzodiazepines.

In Ontario, nasal and injectable naloxone kits are available for free to Ontario residents from most pharmacies, including those in rural and remote areas. They are also given out by many social service and community outreach organizations.

Click the following link to find naloxone near you: https://www.ontario.ca/page/where-get-free-naloxone-kit

What is an opioid overdose?

All opioids (including prescription opioids) can cause breathing to slow. People who use opioids develop tolerance to this effect over time and need to take higher doses to achieve the same euphoric or pain relief effects. However, tolerance to opioids can be lost very quickly. For example, if someone is used to taking very high doses of fentanyl, but they don't use for a week, they will need to restart at a much lower dose than they were previously taking.

With drugs as potent as fentanyl and carfentanil, it can be impossible to know exactly how much you are taking. An amount the size of a grain of salt can be the difference between life and death for people of all tolerance levels.

Using opioids along with other drugs that slow breathing, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, increases the risk of a fatal overdose. Since many illicit opioids are cross-contaminated or cut with benzodiazepines (CCSA, 2020), the risk of overdose for people using these drugs is much higher.

There is a drug called naloxone which will temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. However, naloxone has NO effect on benzodiazepines, stimulants, or alcohol and will not reverse the effects of these drugs (NIDA, 2022).

Examples of Opioid Drugs

What is an opioid?

Opioids are powerful painkillers used to treat moderate to severe pain in a medical setting. Most opioids also produce euphoria, making people who use opioids more susceptible to physical dependence and addiction. Some opioids, such as fentanyl, are used in addition to anesthetics during surgery.

The term "op**te" refers to drugs derived from the poppy plant, such as o***m and morphine, while the term "opioid" describes semi-synthetic and synthetic drugs that are chemically and pharmacologically similar to op**tes (NIDA, 2022). All op**tes and opioids can cause dependence and addiction, regardless of whether they are legally prescribed or illegally obtained.

Welcome everyone!

The purpose of this page is to increase awareness surrounding opioid overdose deaths in Canada while reducing stigma and educating people on lifesaving resources available to those using opioids and their families.

We will be sharing educational posts on overdose statistics and the opioid crisis in Canada as well as resources available both nationally and locally in the Ottawa region.

Please like, share, and comment to help spread the word, break the stigma, and save lives!