OPP Officers save 102 lives using Naloxone since September 2017

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has saved 102 lives using naloxone, since frontline officers began carrying it in September 2017. The severity of the opioid crisis is evident in the increase of opioid-related overdoses and the number of incidences where officers have had to administer naloxone to save a life.

Key statistical information from September 2017 to November 2019 includes:

• The majority, 66 per cent, of naloxone recipients were male and 34 per cent were female.
• The average age of naloxone recipients was 31.5 for females and 32 for males.
• Most incidences occurred inside a residence.
• The majority of opioid-related overdoses occurred in OPP’s Central and West Regions.
• There was a 121 per cent increase in overdose occurrences attended by the OPP from 2016 to 2018.

The OPP continues to save lives by providing victims with referrals to community specific resources and advising the public about harmful substances. See opp.ca/opioids for additional information.

Additionally, the OPP is determined to hold drug traffickers accountable by laying charges for drug-related deaths. Charges have been laid for manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death in relation to fatal overdoses, with 13 occurrences during the last four years. Eight of these occurred in 2019.

“The OPP recognizes lives are being lost due to the opioid crisis and we are taking action. Saving lives by administering naloxone is just one step. Our officers embody the spirit of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act as they assist and protect overdose victims while continuing to criminally charge those responsible for trafficking substances that are causing overdoses and sometimes death.” – Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique.

“At the centre of our response to the opioid crisis is the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act. If you see someone experiencing an overdose, we ask that you call 9-1-1 and stay with the victim to provide support. You could be saving a life.” – Ontario Provincial Police Superintendent Bryan MacKillop.

*These numbers are a reflection of the OPP Niche Records Management database only.

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The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) provide policing services throughout Ontario. Our officers are responsible for policing over one million square kilometres of land and waterways. They provide frontline policing services to more than 320 Ontario municipalities and patrol over 126,000 kilometres of provincial roadways.

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