Opiates Substance Use and Overdose Prevention Program

Opiates Substance Use and Overdose Prevention Program

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent

Citizens discovered how they might save a life someday of an opiates substance user experiencing an overdose when they attended the free Public Education Event- Substance Use and Overdose Prevention on November 5 at the Senior Citizen Sunshine Club in Vegreville.

The Presenter was Outreach Worker with Turning Point Society of Central Alberta, Kevin Cunningham. Kevin stated he grew up in an area where there was a lot of drug culture and most of his friends were into drugs at a young age. He was a quiet kid who kept to himself and taking drugs such as cannabis and mushrooms helped to drop a lot of the barriers he had.

His drug used turned problematic when he was exposed to opiates (morphine and fentanyl). This began when he was injured and had to take them for the pain. The first time he took opiates, it brought him into a state of euphoria. He is not going to blame the doctors, as opiates are the best pain killer around. However, he didn’t realize it also works on emotional and spiritual pain as well. He wasn’t an emotionally intelligent youngster and that first taste of opiates felt like a warm hug. He stopped taking opiates after that until a few years later when he became injured again. Then Cunningham found a source on the black market and he became a substance abuser which led to a very difficult life. He was even homeless for a while. When he started injecting, his friends said they wished he wouldn’t do that but they brought him syringes and taught him to never reuse or share needles with anyone. They were doing pure outreach harm reduction work. When they came to him with those teachings they planted the seed that his health mattered, his life mattered and he would make it through one day. So, Cunningham found a way to get help with his drug problem where he said he took methadone when he was recovering as this helped him not to suffer as much from withdrawal. Due to the fact that his friends were there for him, Cunningham felt compelled to do harm reduction work. He wants to be there for someone else and meet them at whatever stage of substance use they are at.

Cunningham went on to give some overdose opiates prevention tips which are: do not use alone, use safer routes, do a test hit first, know the signs and symptoms of OD, do not mix drugs, carry naloxone, know where to find community support and resources.

Alberta Health Services wrote opioids are nervous system depressants and can result in decreased heart rate, drowsiness, slow/slurred speech, constricted pupils and a decreased breathing rate which can lead to an overdose. Symptoms of an opioid overdose present as: unresponsive to stimulus, slow breathing, very limp body, blue fingernails and lips, skin that is cold or clammy, tiny pupils, vomiting, choking or snore-like gurgling noises, slow heartbeat, seizure, and loss of consciousness.

Cunningham said if you find someone who has overdose; stimulate to see if they are responsive, if not call 911. Check if their airways are open and if not, begin rescue breathing or CPR as directed. Evaluate if they are responsive or adequately breathing, if not administer naloxone. After this, it is essential to evaluate again and continue rescue breathing for another 2 minutes while continuing rescue breathing after the 2nd and 3rd doses as needed, until the person begins to breathe on their own or help arrives. When they are able to breathe on their own, place in the recovery position where hand supports head and knee stops body from rolling onto stomach.

The participants were then trained on how to administer naloxone.

If you need help, you can access the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP) referral form online at vodp.ca or phone 1-844-383-7688.