'Get it together,' says advocate after 2 more die of suspected drug overdoses

A St. John's harm reduction organization says it knows of at least two more people who died due to suspected drugoverdoses over the weekend, leading to calls for the provincial government to take a firmer stance on harm reduction.

The deaths, reported by employees of the Safe Works Access Program, paired with a report from Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical examiner, indicates that at least 11 people have died due to overdoses in the last month.

Tree Walsh, a St. John's harm reduction advocate and one of SWAP's founders, said the reports are deeply concerning andmore should be done by the province to educate and inform about harm reduction.

"The lack of education kills people. [It's]as simple as that," Walsh said Monday.

"Even though the government introduced naloxonea few years ago when the opioid crisis was recognized in the rest of the country, they failed to provide information on what harm reduction is."

Harm reduction centres on making sure people can use drugs safely, Walsh said, as opposed to trying to prevent their use entirely.

Last week, police warned residents that fentanylis being found more frequently in street drugs andmost commonly incocaine.

On Monday, RNCmedia relations officer Const. James Cadigan said police have had to use naloxone kitsan injectable drug that temporarily reverses overdoses by blocking opiate receptors when responding to calls in recent weeks.

Walsh said the provincial government shouldbe better educating the public and health-care workers.

WATCH| How to use a naloxone kit:

How to use naloxone in case of an overdose

7 years ago

Duration 4:26

Karen Singleton of Eastern Health walks through how to use a naloxone kit, in the wake of more than a dozen overdoses on the northeast Avalon

Addressing the stigma around the use of naloxone kits is key, she said,especially asopioid-laced drugs are becoming more prevalent.

"[Naloxone] isnot about facilitating drug use.It's about eliminating it by helping the people reduce the harm to themselves," she said.

"Cocaine users don't normally carry a naloxone kit because they don't use opioids. But nowthe upper is laced with a downer. So the last thing someone would think in a bunch of cocaine users is that there's an opioid overdose in the room, but that's the reality. And the reality is made worse by lack of education."

Government looking at public safety messaging

Walsh said the provincial government should spend moreon prevention education and called on Health Minister Tom Osborneto do it fast.

"Mr. Osborne, instruct your harm reduction section to get it together," she said. "Produce a provincial education platform. Not only for the workers, but a public one as well. Because if it's not introduced sooner, more people will die."

Osborne said the department is working on it andmetas recently as Monday morning to discuss possible public safety messaging.

"We don't know if it's a trend or a spike. It is very concerning, it's something that we are obviously looking at," Osborne said Monday.

"I don't know if you can eliminate death or access to drugs. But we, we work to try and reduce it. We work to try and educate. We are with very heavy hearts today because of the spike recently."

Osborne said the province is continuing to make naloxone kits widely available. Over 400 have been distributed to downtown St. John's bars and other areas,with 800 more on the way, he said.

Both Osborne and Cadigan said if people are planning to use drugs, having a kit nearby could be the difference between life and death.

"The RNC taking a harm reduction approach is the approach that is going to save lives. And that is our focus," Cadigan said.

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador