'I don't understand why you would prevent somebody from coming to the aid of another person that's in distress'
Some boroughs in Montreal are preventing municipal workers from administering naloxone, according to a report.
When municipal workers in Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie requested the opioid antidote be added to their first aid kits, the employer declines, reported CTV News.
That’s because the borough believes administering naloxone is too big a responsibility for the workers, claimed Patrick Dubois, Municipal Workers Union president.
However, Alex Berthelot of Cactus Montreal disagrees with the borough’s stance on naloxone.
"Anybody, anybody, anybody can administer internasal naloxone," said Berthelot in the CTV News report.
The report noted that Quebec Public Health recommends that as many people as possible should obtain the free opioid antidote to be able to administer it as quickly as possible.
Naloxone can be the difference between life and death, said Berthelot.
"When you cross somebody on the street, you don't know how long they've been unconscious. You don't know how long ago they used, you don't know how long ago they stopped breathing, and so, I mean, it's a life or death situation.”
Governments in different parts of the country are also making naloxone available to different workplaces.
There are also governments and other groups that have focused on educating workers on the administration of naloxone.
