On January 9, 2023, at approximately 6:20 p.m., members of the Winnipeg Police Service’s Auxiliary Cadet Unit were flagged down by a Downtown Biz Ambassador to a City of Winnipeg Transit bus shelter in the Graham Avenue Transitway.
Cadet members located an unconscious and unresponsive 26-year-old male within and recognized the event as a possible opioid overdose through their assessment. Members immediately voiced for an ambulance and provided emergency medical care by administering two doses of Narcan Nasal Spray (Naloxone). With assistance from Central District General Patrol officers, four doses of Narcan were administered, resulting in the male regaining consciousness. He was transported to the hospital in stable condition and expected to recover fully.
It was learned the male had overdosed on a fentanyl-based street drug known as “down,” the common street drug attributed to several overdoses and sudden death events throughout the city.
The Winnipeg Police Service encourages anyone who experiences or witnesses a drug overdose to contact 911 immediately. The Good Samaritan, Drug Overdose Act, provides some legal protection for people who seek emergency help for an overdose and anyone at the scene when help arrives. For detailed information on the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, please visit Health Canada's website at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/problematic-prescription-drug-use/opioids/about-good-samaritan-drug-overdose-act.html
To reduce the risk of an overdose, never use drugs alone and always carry naloxone if opioids may be present. For more information on where you can find naloxone, please visit Street Connections' website at http://streetconnections.ca/content.php?navigation_id=2294
For addictions and treatment resources, please see the below links:
- Addictions Foundation of Manitoba: https://afm.mb.ca/
- Street Connections: http://www.streetconnections.ca/