Ryan Pinneo was slumped over in a chair in his room when his mother found him. The 22-year-old died from a fatal dose of fentanyl in January.
His mother Sandra Tully is thrilled that naloxone, used to treat overdoses, will soon be available in Canada without a prescription.
“Just having it available for families that are struggling and to have it in their home. I think it’s going to safe lives,” she said.
“It now allows family and friends and service providers in the community to have access to naloxone as well,” Dr. Mark Lysyshyn of Vancouver Coastal Health said. “Just like a first aid kit.”
The news comes as drug users in Metro Vancouver are being warned about bad batches of fentanyl. Naloxone can restore breathing within a few minutes and prevent deaths.
Health advocates have been pushing for the overdose antidote to be made widely available after a string of fentanyl-related deaths across the country.
“Because of the toxicity of fentanyl, a very small amount in a person who’s not tolerant to that type of drug can have devastating effects,” Lysyshyn said.
According to police numbers, about two or three people die every week in Vancouver due to drug overdoses.
Last month, Health Minister Terry Lake said certain specially licensed firefighters will be allowed to administer naloxone, by injecting it in a large muscle, such as a thigh. Its effects last from about 30 to 60 minutes and patients would be transferred to a hospital for further treatment.
-With files from Jon Azpiri
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