Overdose Prevention
Until our government acts to legally regulate drugs that are currently often toxic and poisoned, we need to be vigilant. People who use drugs have never faced a more serious threat and we need to be serious about keeping each other on this planet. Once again, in the face of stigma and inaction, it is us that must keep each other safe and research what’s making a difference in saving lives on the ground. Below are some tips, but please share strategies as you learn from your own experiences and those around you.
Don’t Use Alone
We now know that embracing the practice of not using alone is one of the best strategies to protect ourselves from an accidental drug poisioning (overdose) resulting in death. We know this is hard for some of us; the pressure to share drugs, to find a location to use around others, or even that our rituals of using alone could get disrupted. However, we know that finding a way around these obstacles is crucial. Evidence from the BCCDC has shown that using criminalized drugs is more dangerous in rural areas than in urban cores where more harm reduction services are available. In the Atlantic provinces, many of us live in rural areas and we need to find creative ways to protect each other.
Check out our Resource page to see if there’s an OPS in your area.
You can also call the National Overdose Prevention Service at 1-888-688-6677 or use the Brave App before you use to receive remote or virtual overdose monitoring.
Test for fentanyl
Because of the iron law of prohibition, criminalized drugs can often be stronger than we expect or want them to be. In order to work around the harsh criminal penalties created by the so-called “war on drugs”, fentanyl has been introduced into our drug supply. Having your drugs laced with fentanyl puts you at much higher risk of overdose. Use testing strips to figure out if there is fentanyl in your drugs and adjust your use accordingly.
A note of caution: testing strips may not catch all of the new synthetic opioids currently being created and regularly added to our drug supply. Therefore, even if your drugs test negative for fentanyl, it is always advised that you “go low, start slow”.
See the video below to learn how to use fentanyl testing strips and safer ways to use when your drugs test positive for fentanyl. If you would prefer a written step by step guide on how to use the test strips you can find that here
Check out our Resource page to learn how to access free fentanyl testing strips in your area.
Carry Naloxone
Naloxone is a life-saving medication that comes in both injectable and nasal spray preparations that is used to reverse an opioid poisoning. Encourage people who do not use drugs to learn how to administer naloxone and carry it at all times too. This is a solid action that allies who love us can take to show support and normalize the presence of naloxone kits in our society.
Check out our Resource page to learn where to get a free naloxone kit in your area.
Visit naloxonetraining.com to learn how to reverse an overdose using naloxone.
Or watch video training below.
Test for Xylazine
Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer present in the unregulated drug supply in Canada. Xylazine is a non-narcotic analgesic drug,which in turn makes it difficult to enforce. It is not currently approved for human use in Canada. Xylazine causes central nervous system depressant effects such as muscle relaxation, analgesia, sedation and anesthesia.
The combination of xylazine with benzodiazepines, opioids or both increases the risk of drug poisoning and can obscure response protocols due to the prolonged sedation. Naloxone should be used in suspected opioid poisoning, but it will not reverse the effects of xylazine nor benzodiazepines.
A note of caution: the xylazine test may cross-react with lidocaine (a common additive in cocaine). For this reason, the test should not be used to test cocaine.
Below is a video on how to use you Xylazine Test Strips! If you would prefer a written step by step guide you can find that here
More Overdose Prevention Tips
Learn more about overdose prevention and remember to share your strategies! We are the researchers on the ground!
