Urgences-Sant grapples with rise in opioid overdoses

Working on the front lines, paramedics with Urgences-Santhave seen firsthand the growing problem of opioidoverdoses in Montreal.

"We are concerned about what's happening to our citizens herein Montrealand in the area," said StephanGascon, a spokesperson forUrgences-Sant.

There were 88 opioid overdoses on Urgences-Sant'sQuebec territory in the past three months,with 54 of them being in downtown and Montreal's Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood.

The overdoses occurred between Aug. 18 and Nov. 27.

Many of theoverdoses were linked tofenanyl, heroineor one of their derivatives.

Gasconsaid the rise in overdoses is a sign of increased awareness and reporting, not that the city is headed towards a crisis point.

He said what Montreal is seeing still doesn't come close to the kind of opioid crisis being felt in other parts of the country, like Vancouver.

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Opioidaction plan needed, community group says

Urgences-Santhas used of the opioid antidote naloxone has doubledfrom April to September 2017,compared with that same period in 2016.

However, Cactus Montral, a community organization for the prevention of blood-borneand sexually transmitted infections, wants to see better access to naloxonein Quebec.

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Its chairman, LouisLetellierde St-Just, said the province has bowed to pressure to make naloxoneavailable in pharmacies and wants to see police officers carry it next.

"We are stillwaitingfor a full plan for theopioidcrisis," said Letellierde St-Just.

Urgences-Sant added that most overdoses occurredFriday and Saturday, and that the group most affected is between 20 and 30 years old.

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