11 lives in Halifax saved so far from opioid overdoses because of naloxone kits: Direction 180

The fentanyl crisis may have started on the West Coast of Canada but the powerful drug is now active on the streets of Halifax, however, naloxone kits have been shown to help save lives in the municipality from fatal opioid overdoses.

READ: Fentanyl 101: The facts and dangers

A year ago, Direction 180 started training people in the community how to properly administer naloxone kits. Once injected, naloxone works to temporarily block the effects that opiates have on the body.

Already, the kits have proven to be effective.

“To date, we’ve had 11 reported reversals. So 11 lives have been saved,” said Cindy MacIssac, executive director of Direction 180.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "To date, we've had 11 reported reversals. So 11 lives have been saved," said Cindy MacIssac, executive director of Direction 180.

“Those are formal reports but anecdotally we also know of other people who’ve used them but they haven’t come in and participated in that formal discussion of how that went for them.”

On average, there are 60 fatal opioid overdoses in Nova Scotia each year.

READ MORE: 2 Halifax men arrested on charges of possessing handgun, fentanyl, other drugs

The province’s top doctor said there’s been a shift in the types of drugs that officials are now seeing and confirms that some of the fatal overdoses in Nova Scotia now involve illicit fentanyl.

“What we’re starting to see is that most of those deaths previously had been due to methodone, oxycontin and things,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health.

“We’re now starting to see some of those deaths starting to be illicit fentanyl, which is concerning because illicit fentanyl shows up in many ways, not just in opioids but in a range of other powered street drugs as well, and that puts many other people at risk.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "What we're starting to see is that most of those deaths previously had been due to methodone, oxycontin and things," said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health.</p><p>"We're now starting to see some of those deaths starting to be illicit fentanyl, which is concerning because illicit fentanyl shows up in many ways, not just in opioids but in a range of other powered street drugs as well, and that puts many other people at risk."

Strang said two of the overdose deaths the province saw last year was due to illicit fentanyl and although it’s a low number, it’s still a concern.

“So certainly not the extent that it is in other parts of Canada, but it’s here and it’s likely to become more of a problem, so we’re in the process of being prepared for that,” he said.

WATCH: Naloxone kits, used to reverse opiate overdoses, hit streets of Halifax, Cape Breton

2:05 Naloxone kits, used to reverse opiate overdoses, hit streets of Halifax, Cape Breton

In the fall, seven different working groups were formed to create a comprehensive response plan to tackle the current and future opioid problem in Nova Scotia.

“I think it’s important that we’re ready in the face of a fentanyl crisis here. I think it’s really important that organizations that are providing treatment to opioid dependent people have timely access so we can prevent or mitigate any risks of fatal consequences,” said MacIsaac.

There is no timeline available for when the plan will be complete.

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