There's a new tool to help fight opioid abuse and overdoses in Sudbury.
It's a pamphlet that contains valuable information to help people identify prescription opioid and stimulant drugs.
Pamphlet identifying prescription drugs in CanadaThe educational pamphlet was produced by Purdue Pharma and is endorsed by the Canadian Pharmacists Association.
It shows what prescription opioid and stimulants look like, and it's hanging on the wall of the outreach office at the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth.
“Currently we don't actually don't carry it with us on street outreach, we keep it in office for people who come in to seek more information. We have brought it recently with us when we go tabling at events to kind of inform the public.” said SACY outreach worker Chasse Gibeault.
The information is helpful for people who use drugs and for those who do not.
“For parents, it gives them the ability to actually identify say some pills that they discover within the house that their child may have come across. It may also give them more information as to some of the medications that they themselves take. For example, if you are on pain medication, you might not necessarily recognize that the pain medication is an opioid.” said SACY outreach worker Joel Boivin.
The outreach workers hope the information helps opioid users know the difference between manufactured prescription opioids and knockoffs out there on the streets.
“We are seeing an increase in overdose related deaths specifically to opioids.” said Gibeault.
“We also use it as a handout resource to clients, as well to be able to give them the information to be able to kind of see what the product actually looks like that they might be receiving. And it gives that initial assessment data: is this a legitimate product or could it have been tampered in some way?” said Boivin.
Still, the outreach workers admit some illicit drug makers have pill presses and methods to make knockoff drugs look like the official prescription drugs.
