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One million naloxone kits distributed, 3000 deaths averted
More than one million naloxone kits have been shipped in British Columbia, averting more than 3,000 deaths, thanks to the tireless work of the Take Home Naloxone Program at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and Dr. Jane Buxton, Professor at the School of Population and Public Health (SPPH) and harm reduction lead for the BCCDC.
Dr. Jane Buxton
The program, which started in 2012, provides life-saving training and kits to people at risk of an opioid overdose. There are now over 1300 sites participating across British Columbia.
“The Take Home Naloxone program has been a crucial component of the emergency response to the overdose crisis and I’m proud of our partners and community members for their dedication to get this life-saving medication into the hands of people who need it,” said Dr. Buxton. “While we can acknowledge naloxone distribution has contributed to saving many lives, people continue to die from a toxic, unregulated drug supply. Opioid overdose deaths are preventable and unacceptable.”
Read more on the BCCDC Website.