Canada is in the midst of a devastating opioid overdose epidemic.
– Over 14,000 people have died of apparent opioid overdoses since 2016
– 94% of these overdoses are accidental
– Young people, aged 15 to 24, are the fastest-growing group requiring hospital care from opioid overdoses
Pick up a naloxone kit at your local pharmacy. Naloxone is a medication that helps reverse opioid overdoses until medical help arrives.
- Kits are free of charge in Ontario and Quebec
Click the title that best describes you for ways to help make us a Naloxone Ready Community.
Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Naloxone is not intended to be a substitute for emergency medical care.
Citizens & advocacy groups
Naloxone Ready Community
The power is in your hands to help reverse an opioid overdose
Downloadable resources for citizens and advocacy groups
These resources can be easily printed and are designed to help you fight the crisis in your community.
Naloxone Print ads/posters x 3
Naloxone Event Postcard
Naloxone Event Flyer
Naloxone Digital Banner
Naloxone Facebook ad
Potential Strategies for Citizens and Advocacy Groups
Citizens and advocacy groups are uniquely positioned to have a positive impact. Here are some strategies to help you become an effective advocate for safety in your community.
- Pick up a naloxone kit at your local pharmacy and do your part to help make your city a Naloxone Ready Community
- Download the BE THE ONE resources and ensure they are displayed in high-traffic areas
- Learn how and why people are affected by opioid addiction
- Understand the use of naloxone and where to find it in the community
- Create events in the community (topics could include opioid overdose awareness/prevention, naloxone awareness, mental health, societal issues)
- Organize an awareness booth or session at a local community event
- Advocate for greater access and availability of naloxone with local organizations, stakeholders and government
Questions? E-mail customerservicecanada@ebsi.com for more information.
Municipalities
Naloxone Ready Community
A city-based plan to help us become a Naloxone Ready Community
Downloadable resources for municipalities
These resources can be easily printed and are designed to help improve the safety of your community.
Naloxone Print ads/posters x 3
Naloxone Event Postcard
Naloxone Event Flyer
Naloxone Digital Banner
Naloxone Facebook ad
City Council Naloxone Policy Change Motion
Potential Strategies for MUNICIPALITIES
Municipalities are on the front line of the crisis. Here are some strategies to help municipalities fight the crisis.
- Encourage staff, friends and family to learn more about the availability of naloxone kits at their local pharmacy
- Download the BE THE ONE resources and ensure they are displayed in high-traffic areas
- Establish a drug strategy committee and policies on how to address overdose
- • Include at least one pharmacist along with other key stakeholders
- Ensure naloxone is available in all public buildings and facilities
- Require large municipal licensed events to have naloxone available
- Recommend that rehab/recovery/shelters have naloxone on-hand
- Require municipal transit operators are trained and carry naloxone with them
- Recommend that secondary and post-secondary institutions have an overdose policy and that key staff/students are trained and have access to naloxone
- • Provide Carry It Toolkit to all secondary and post-secondary institutions
- Encourage Public Health to host and support regular training sessions to raise awareness of the availability of naloxone through provincially funded programs
- Take a leadership position by passing motions encouraging community involvement
- Require relevant front-line staff to be trained and have naloxone, e.g., parks and recreation staff, lifeguards, custodial staff, facilities staff, etc.
Questions? E-mail customerservicecanada@ebsi.com for more information.
Public Health
Naloxone Ready Community
Tools to help Public Health agencies make us a Naloxone Ready Community
Downloadable resources for Public Health agencies
These resources can be easily printed and are designed to help Public Health agencies improve community safety.
Naloxone Print ads/posters x 3
Naloxone Event Postcard
Naloxone Event Flyer
Naloxone Digital Banner
Naloxone Facebook ad
Potential Strategies for PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES
The opioid crisis poses significant challenges for public health departments nationwide. Here are some strategies to help Public Health agencies fight the crisis.
- Download the BE THE ONE resources and ensure they are displayed in high traffic areas
- Contribute to the development of a community opioid strategy
- Proactively engage in training and distributing naloxone throughout the community
- Engage the Chief Medical Officer to advise and encourage the public to carry naloxone
- Encourage the scheduling of regular naloxone education and outreach programs with community partners
- Document and support each Public Health naloxone distribution partner
- Distribute Naloxone support materials as needed to key partners
- Distribute hospital discharge protocols to emergency departments in region, to ensure overdose patients leave with naloxone
- Educate and manage collection and destruction of expired naloxone in community
- Establish links with local pharmacies to drive better education/training on naloxone
- Partner with local social and health agencies to drive education and distribution of naloxone kits
Questions? E-mail customerservicecanada@ebsi.com for more information.
first responders
Naloxone Ready Community
Tools to help make us a Naloxone Ready Community
Downloadable resources for First Responders
These resources can be easily printed and are designed to help you be more effective advocates in the fight against the opioid crisis.
Naloxone Print ads/posters x 3
Naloxone Event Postcard
Naloxone Event Flyer
Naloxone Digital Banner
Naloxone Facebook ad
Potential Strategies for FIRST RESPONDERS
First responders are on the front line of the opioid crisis. Here are some strategies to help First Responders improve community safety.
- Encourage staff, friends and family to learn more about the availability of naloxone kits at their local pharmacy
- Download the BE THE ONE resources and ensure they are displayed in high traffic areas
- Establish a “naloxone carry” policy to ensure naloxone is available for fire and police services
- Establish a “naloxone usage” policy to ensure all first responders understand the opportunity they have to assist their community
- Reinforce how the Good Samaritan Laws function and are enforced
- Advocate for greater access and availability of naloxone within local organizations and government facilities
- Ensure all first responders are properly trained to use Naloxone when needed
- Report on usage and distribution of naloxone to Public Health Units
- Partner with local social and health agencies, as well as pharmacies on education and outreach initiatives
Questions? E-mail customerservicecanada@ebsi.com for more information.
social & health agencies
Naloxone Ready Community
A street-level plan to help us become a Naloxone Ready Community
Downloadable resources for Social and Health Agencies
These resources can be easily printed and are designed to help Social and Health agencies be more powerful advocates for community safety.
Naloxone Print ads/posters x 3
Naloxone Event Postcard
Naloxone Event Flyer
Naloxone Digital Banner
Naloxone Facebook ad
Potential Strategies for FOR SOCIAL AND HEALTH AGENCIES
Social and Health agencies are on the front line. Here are some strategies to empower your agency to fight the crisis and help improve community safety.
- Encourage staff, friends and family to learn more about the availability of naloxone kits at their local pharmacy
- Download the BE THE ONE resources and ensure they are displayed in high traffic areas
- Establish naloxone outreach plans for at risk, street-involved individuals
- Host regular naloxone education and training sessions for clients as needed
- Explore naloxone distribution to clients and community members, and track, and record kits distributed with the Public Health Office
- Establish links with public health offices and local pharmacies to ensure they understand resources/support available, and promote integrated care model in the community
- Advocate for greater access and availability of naloxone with other local organizations and municipal/regional government
- Host caregiver/family education days for people impacted by opioid use disorder/addiction
- Educate the broader community on the benefit of community members being trained and equipped with a naloxone kit, in order that they can act in the case of a crisis
Questions? E-mail customerservicecanada@ebsi.com for more information.
Pharmacists
Naloxone Ready Community
Empowering Pharmacists to make us a Naloxone Ready Community
Downloadable resources for Pharmacists
These resources can be easily printed and are designed to help Pharmacies and Pharmacists become more powerful advocates for community safety.
Naloxone Print ads/posters x 3
Naloxone Event Postcard
Naloxone Event Flyer
Naloxone Event Poster
Naloxone Digital Banner
Naloxone Facebook ad
City Council Naloxone Policy Change Motion
Order Naloxone Awareness Kits and in‑pharmacy materials
Naloxone education and awareness materials are created to be handed out with naloxone and are free of charge in Ontario and Quebec.
Help us get the word out and fight the opioid crisis in our community.
Each Consumer Awareness Kit contains:
- Information card
- Window Sticker
- Button
Naloxone Pharmacy in‑pharmacy materials, including:
- In‑Pharmacy Poster x 2
- Counter Card x 3
- Launch Flyer x 10
- Pull up banner
- Flag
Potential Strategies for Pharmacists
Pharmacists are uniquely placed to fight the opioid crisis. Here are some strategies to help pharmacists fight the crisis and improve community safety.
- Download the BE THE ONE resources and ensure they are displayed in high traffic areas
- Ensure staff are trained and familiar with naloxone
- Establish standardized co-dispensing practices and policies for at-risk patients, or patients and clients residing in at-risk environments
- Incorporate internal dispensary prompts and practices to identify appropriate patients/clients for naloxone dispensing
- Avoid language that reinforces stigma when offering, or responding to requests for Naloxone
- Conduct regular naloxone training sessions in the pharmacy
- Have in-store materials on display to promote awareness of the availability of naloxone in the pharmacy
- Keep an adequate number of naloxone kits available in the pharmacy
- Create linkages with local harm reduction social and health services agencies
- Create Naloxone Day(s) within clinics to educate community members on when, and how to use naloxone
- Conduct outreach across the community to inform and train groups that may be at higher risk on the use of naloxone in the event of an opioid overdose
For more information, view the Canadian National Consensus Guidelines for naloxone prescribing by pharmacists.
Questions? E-mail customerservicecanada@ebsi.com for more information.
businesses & organizations
Naloxone Ready Community
Empowering Business to make us a Naloxone Ready Community
Downloadable resources for Businesses and Organizations
These resources can be easily printed and are designed to help businesses become more powerful advocates for community safety.
Naloxone Print ads/posters x 3
Naloxone Event Postcard
Naloxone Event Flyer
Naloxone Digital Banner
Naloxone Facebook ad
Potential Strategies for FOR BUSINESSES
Business organizations have a unique and powerful role to play in mitigating the opioid crisis. Here are some strategies to help your organization fight the opioid crisis.
- Encourage staff, friends and family to learn more about the availability of naloxone kits at their local pharmacy
- Download the BE THE ONE resources and ensure they are displayed in high traffic areas
- Establish an “Opioid Overdose Emergency Response Plan” in the event of a crisis
- Establish staff training and education practices on the “Opioid Overdose Emergency Response Plan” to ensure staff know how to identify a potential opioid overdose, and how to administer naloxone
- • Incorporate into all first aid/CPR and health and safety-training practices
- Have at least one naloxone kit available in areas of the workplace where other safety equipment is stored, such as first aid kits, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) or fire extinguishers
- Inform staff on how to access naloxone kits for personal use in the community
- Advocate for greater access and availability of naloxone with local organizations and government
Questions? E-mail customerservicecanada@ebsi.com for more information.
secondary & post-secondary institutions
Naloxone Ready Community
A school-based plan to make us a Naloxone Ready Community
Downloadable resources for Schools and Universities
These resources can be easily printed and are designed to help staff and students get the word out about how to fight the opioid crisis.
Naloxone Print ads/posters x 3
Naloxone Event Postcard
Naloxone Event Flyer
Naloxone Digital Banner
Naloxone Facebook ad
Potential Strategies for SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
Schools and universities are ground zero in the opioid crisis. Here are some strategies to help your institution fight the crisis.
- Encourage staff, friends and family to learn more about the availability of naloxone kits at their local pharmacy
- Download the BE THE ONE resources and ensure they are displayed in high traffic areas
- Establish an “Opioid Overdose Emergency Response Plan” in the event of a crisis
- Establish staff training and education practices on how to identify a potential opioid overdose, and how to administer naloxone
- • Incorporate into first aid/CPR and health and safety-training practices
- Maintain naloxone kits in locations on campus where other safety equipment is stored, such as first aid kits, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) or fire extinguishers
- Ensure naloxone available on-hand for student rallies, gatherings, and athletic events
- Incorporate into Parent education sessions
- Inclusion in student health education curriculum
- Recommend that school security and special constables carry naloxone
- Incorporate into orientation for new students as well as frosh week activities
- Formally train all student council members and dons/resident managers
- Incorporate into safe-walk and student emergency response teams
- Encourage all healthcare students to carry naloxone
- Establish a relationship with local pharmacy to have regular training and distribution on campus
Questions? E-mail customerservicecanada@ebsi.com for more information.
