The OPP have saved 102 lives to date by using naloxone spray. Officers began carrying the life saving spray in September of 2017 due to the severity of the opioid crisis. The crisis is evident in the increase of opioid-related overdoses and the number of incidences where officers have had to administer naloxone to save a life.
The OPP report that the majority of opioid-related overdoses occurred in OPP’s Central and West Regions, which Elgin County is apart of. They also report that most of these incidents occurred inside a residence with 66 percent of naloxone recipients being male and 34 percent being female.
The OPP have been working to lower overdose rates by providing victims with referrals to community specific resources and advising the public about harmful substances as well as by holding drug traffickers accountable by laying charges for drug-related deaths.
