Halifax police using naloxone to combat fentanyl, opioid exposure

Halifax police officers responding to the scene of a suspected fentanyl overdose Sunday afternoon had a new tool with them — naloxone.

READ MORE: Man hospitalized after fentanyl overdose: Halifax police

The lifesaving naloxone kits are being distributed to “key spots” of the Halifax Regional Police (HRP) force, deputy chief Bill Moore told Global News. When administered, the drug blocks the effects of opioids like fentanyl, potentially saving a person from an overdose.

When officers were called to the residence in the 0-100 block of Robert Drive in Dartmouth Sunday afternoon, Moore said they found residue of what was believed to be fentanyl. Experts were called in to properly dispose of the drug, because of the dangers of exposure.

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

Police currently have the injectable version of the drug, but HRP said they will be looking at getting nasal inhalers soon. Bringing in naloxone is partly a result of incidents elsewhere in the country.

“There’s been cases where officers have been contaminated with fentanyl,” Moore said. “It’s such a dangerous opioid it can lead [them] to basically stop breathing, and death.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There's been cases where officers have been contaminated with fentanyl," Moore said. "It's such a dangerous opioid it can lead [them] to basically stop breathing, and death."

Early this year, naloxone take-home kits were made available in both Halifax and Cape Breton as part of a pilot project by the Nova Scotia Department of Health.

In October, Nova Scotia RCMP confirmed naloxone nasal spray was being given to officers in stages, starting with those most likely to come in contact with the opioid. It was part of a Canada-wide roll out of the spray, which is easier to administer than the injection.

READ MORE: Nova Scotia RCMP given Naloxone kits amid spreading fentanyl crisis

HRP said at that time they were considering using naloxone, but had not committed to bringing it into the organization. On Monday, Moore confirmed that had changed.

“We’re just moving them out now,” Moore said. “It’s not something we were originally planning on doing. We purchased some, and we’re now putting them out.”

He said if they are able to source nasal sprays, they may start providing personal sprays to officers.

In an internal memo sent to HRP members from Chief Jean-Michel Blais, officers were briefed on concerns over fake oxycodone pills made of fentanyl powder that were found in Halifax, as well as the trend in Western Canada where cocaine is being cut with fentanyl or fake crack cocaine is made out of fentanyl or a similar drug.

The brief also goes over what officers can expect in the roll out of naloxone in the force, including revising policies to fentanyl-specific measures.

The brief says the naloxone will initially be given to watch commanders and appropriate supervisors, along with the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division and other special units that may encounter fentanyl and overdose victims.

HRP is also working to get the necessary equipment for safely transporting and destroying fentanyl.