Naloxone not just life-saving, it's cost-effective, UW study finds
CTV
Amid a worsening toxic drug crisis, increasing the availability of naloxone nasal spray across the country will save lives, a new study from University of Waterloo has found.
Amid a worsening toxic drug crisis, increasing the availability of naloxone nasal spray across the country will save lives, a new study from University of Waterloo has found.
It’s also cost-effective, the researchers say.
An average of 22 Canadians die each day from suspected drug poisonings, according to the Government of Canada.
In Waterloo Region, there were eight deaths in the two-week period between March 19 and April 5.
“Naloxone itself is life or death,” says Simone Morrison, director of outreach at Sanguen Heath Services.
Naloxone temporarily reverses the effects of an overdose. The medical effectiveness of the drug is well documented, but a new study from the University of Waterloo shows it’s also cost-effective – particularly for governments like Ontario that offer the nasal spray version for free.
