Mississauga MPP wants to fight opioid crisis with mandatory police training on overdose reversal medication

Mississauga Centre MPP Natalia Kusendova tabled her first private members bill on Wednesday (May 1) in an effort to fight back against Canada’s opioid crisis.

If passed, the Mandatory Police Training Act, 2019 will require those under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 to receive ministry approved training in the administration of Naloxone for opioid overdoses. This includes Ontario police officers, special constables, First Nations officers and inspectors.

Naloxone is a harmless medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Its effects are proven to work within four minutes and allow additional time for emergency services to arrive on scene.

Also known as Narcan, Naloxone kits are available for free at pharmacies and eligible community organizations across the province. It can be administered consecutively via injection or nasal spray, and only affects those experiencing an overdose.

In 2017, 3,996 people died from opioid overdoses in Canada. 1,265, or approximately 32 per cent of those deaths occurred in Ontario. In the first six months of 2018 alone, Ontario recorded 629 more deaths.

“As a registered nurse, I believe in providing our police with every tool at their disposal to save lives,” Kusendova said in a news release.

“By providing training to all police forces on recognizing the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and how to safely and effectively administer Naloxone, we can ensure better outcomes for many people suffering an overdose.”

Bruce Chapman, President of the Police Association of Ontario (PAO) said there are already requirements put in place that mandate any officer carrying the medication must be properly trained in its administration.

As is, Chapman said only a few municipalities do not provide Naloxone to their officers based on the direction of their police chiefs.

“We always support initiatives to support saving lives of the vulnerable members of the population that may have issues with opioid overdoses or accidental overdoses, but also for the protection of our officers who come in contact with either the drugs or people who have ingested and maybe have residue of fentanyl on them,” he said.