Manitoba’s frontline RCMP officers will now carry naloxone kits to help them assist people suffering drug overdoses or themselves if they are inadvertently exposed to potentially fatal opioids.
Naloxone is a drug that blocks the effects of opioids and can be administered intravenously, intramuscularly or via a nasal spray, which is what the kits being provided to RCMP officers in Manitoba contain. Administering it to someone suffering from an opioid overdose can keep them alive and breathing so first responders have time to transport them to a hospital or other medical facility for treatment.
“The safety of Manitobans and of our police officers is first and foremost,” said Chief Supt. Mark Fisher, officer in charge of criminal operations for the RCMP in Manitoba. “Equipping RCMP officers with naloxone kits is a public safety measure and was a priority for this division.”
More than 1,000 naloxone kits have been distributed to RCMP officers.
Opioids include drugs derived from opium poppies like morphine and heroin as well as synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs like hydrocodone, oxycodone and fentanyl.
The RCMP says fentanyl – a prescription painkiller far more powerful than morphine – is present throughout the province, including urban centres and rural communities policed by the RCMP, though its officers have not had to respond to any medical emergencies involving fentanyl yet.
Thompson RCMP police community relations officer Const. Sandy Deibert said in a Nov. 24 news release that police have not encountered the drug in Thompson yet but it could eventually find its way here.
“For those not using illicit drugs, your risk is low,” the news release said. “However unintentional exposure to the drug can cause serious harm. Signs of an overdose can include, but are not limited to: severe sleepiness, slow, shallow breathing, lips and nails that turn blue, cold and clammy skin, and unresponsiveness. If anyone has concerns about exposure to fentanyl please contact emergency medical services immediately.”
“We are very aware of the presence of fentanyl in Manitoba communities, and we are prepared for the enforcement piece of this puzzle,” said Cpl. Scott Hanson, head of “D” Division’s synthetic drug operations. “However, we cannot arrest our way out of this issue. We are also focussing on the prevention, education and harm reduction elements related to the use of fentanyl.”
