Ottawa teens warned to watch for 'the nod' as prom, festival season nears

The city's public health agency is trying to spread the word about how to handle someone who is high on opioidsand at risk of an overdose as the prom and summer festival season gets underway.

Marino Francispillai, program manager for family and school health at Ottawa Public Health,worked with Ottawa's four school boards to develop the #OnTheNodsocial media campaign.

"We worry about alcohol, we worry about drugs, especially these days we're worried about fentanyl illegalfentanyl that's circulating and we know that it would cause an overdose," Francispillai said."We want to make sure that kids are prepared for this."

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Francispillai said students should make sure they stay with people they trust, formulate an exit plan for situations involving drugs and if they plan to do drugs carry a naloxone, the antidote for opioid overdoses.

Marino Francispillai talks about strategies for dealing with drugs at prom

7 years ago

Duration 0:41

Ottawa Public Health's Marino Francispillai explains some of the strategies for dealing with opioids like fentanyl

The city health department describes the signs that someone is at risk of an overdose, or"on the nod," as muscle relaxation, sleepiness, slow and slurred speech with their head nodding.

If they're intoxicated, but not overdosing they will:

• Respond to "shake & shout."
• Be able to talk.
• Be able to walk around with or without help.
• Breathe regularly and normally.

Health officials recommend staying with the person, monitoring their breathing to see if they do begin to overdose. The symptoms of an overdose are:

• Breathing is very slow, or irregular, or they are not breathing at all.
• Fingernails and/or lips are blue.
• Body is limp.
• Deep snoring or gurgling sounds.
• Loss of consciousness/passed out (you can't wake the person up).
• Unresponsiveness (not answering when you talk to them or shake them).
• Pinpoint (tiny) pupils.
• Vomiting.

If that's the case, OPH says you should call 9-1-1 and administer naloxone.

Sandy Hill Community Health's Luc Cormier explains "on the nod"

7 years ago

Duration 0:45

Luc Cormier with Sandy Hill Community Health explains what "on the nod" is and how it relates to opioid overdoses

Afterparties have greater risk

Marion Wright, executive director of theRideauwoodAddiction and Family Services, said the concerns are greatest when teenagers leave school grounds for after-prom events.

"I think the risk increases to afterparties," Wright said. "There has been, of course, some training provided to some security firms who are at the afterparties on how to administer naloxone should they be seeing someone who is experiencing an overdose."

Ottawa Public Health reached out to prom organizers and security companies through Project Step a coalition of health service providers, school boards and community groups.

The city health department provided training on opioids, includingillicit fentanyl, and advised them on how to buy naloxone kits and train their staff to administer it.

The Escapade electronic music festival will also have naloxone on site for the June 24 weekend. Canadian Ski Patrol members have recently been trained to spot the signs of an opioid overdose and administer naloxone. There will also be paramedics on site.

Organizers said they are discussing with the city whether festival-goers will be able to bring their own kits.

Wright said fentanyl has been a game changer, because such a small dose can be fatal and it has been found in other drugs.

"It's critical to be aware of it, particularly at large events festivals, proms, whatever because we have a very different situation than we've had in previous years."