Opioid overdose deaths are skyrocketing in Canada. The government wants to put warning stickers on medicine boxes.
The opioid crisis is growing in disproportion in Canada. Faced with the explosion of deaths by overdose, the Ministry of Health is deploying major resources. He announced, this February 17, funding of $ 65 million over five years to combat misuse. Health Canada also wishes to act upstream, by improving patient information. For this, he wants to make mandatory warnings on boxes of drugs containing opioids.
An information book
If the proposal is adopted, each box concerned will be provided with a sticker warning the user of the risks of dependence and overdose. This system will be supplemented by the delivery of an information booklet when prescribing these drugs.
“The leaflet would contain general information on the safe use of opioids and the important risks associated with opioid use,” detailed the Ministry of Health, which hopes to improve the behavior of its citizens. These proposals will be submitted for consultation during the year.
More immediately, the Canadian government formalized funding for the opioid action plan. The focus is on the provinces most in demand. The province of British Columbia will receive $ 10 million “in urgent support”, announced Health Canada in a press release.
A national explosion
In fact, British Columbia is at the epicenter of this crisis: in 2016, overdoses killed 900 people. This is 80% more than the previous year. The situation does not seem to be improving since in January, 116 deaths were reported by health authorities. Neighboring Alberta is not doing much better: Fentanyl has killed 343 people there. As for Quebec, in 2014, it recorded 146 opioid-related deaths.
These alarming figures called for a major response. “Faced with such a serious situation, we must work with our partners and provide concrete assistance,” confirms Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in a press release. This funding will make it possible to respond to an urgent need ”.
Some measures of the opioid action plan have already proven their worth. In the summer of 2016, Canada made possible the use of naloxone, an antidote capable of reversing the effects of an overdose, and accelerated the establishment of lower risk consumption centers. This new plan goes further: the Canadian government wants to launch awareness campaigns, extend support measures to First Nations and Inuit, but also strengthen surveillance.
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