First responders with Manitoba RCMP will now be better equipped to handle fentanyl cases in the province.
Every member will now carry a Naloxone kit to assist anyone who has come in contact with the opioid.
READ MORE: Winnipeg police to be equipped with drug to combat opioid overdoses
Corporal Scott Hanson with Manitoba RCMP’s Synthetic Drug Operation says first responders are in danger every time they respond to a call involving fentanyl, and need to be prepared.
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“Fentanyl is extremely water soluble, it can get in to you through your skin. But more often than not it gets in through your mucus membranes, be it your nose, your mouth, your eyes. So as first responders we definitely have to take precautions,” said Hanson.
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1,010 Naloxone kits have been distributed to RCMP officers. It comes in a nasal spray that can be quickly used for anyone who comes into contact with fentanyl.
Hanson has been working with the RCMP for 16 years, and said he has never seen a drug take over like this before.
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“With fentanyl, it just takes a level up a notch for us when it comes to dealing with overdoses, criminal offences, search warrant executions.”
The drug is making its way into parts of rural Manitoba. So far RCMP have not responded to any emergencies involving fentanyl.
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