Sudbury bar owner says naloxone mandate doesn't go far enough

A new labour bill introduced by the Ford government is set to require some Ontario workplaces to have naloxone kits on hand to prevent opioid overdoses, but one northern bar owner thinks the list should be expanded.

The bill cites high-risk workplaces like construction sites, bars and nightclubs.

But Sudbury bar owner, Anthony Toppazzini, told CTV News in an interview he thinks the bill should include more places. 

Toppazzinni said before the COVID-19 pandemic, a man overdosed in his bar – the Beef 'N Bird -- and he is thankful he had a naloxone kit on hand that he had just picked up that day.

"We were very fortunate we had an essential services person on grounds that administered it," Toppazzini said. "We witnessed him doing it. It was very, very easy. Basically, it’s a nasal spray that is administered to the person in distress. We watched him do it and within minutes the situation was rectified until the ambulance came on grounds."

Because the opioid crisis is so widespread, the bar owner would like to see the province broaden the naloxone kit mandate.

"This should be in every public place where there this occurrence could happen. Not just specifically the bars and restaurants because, unfortunately, with the drug problem, this can happen anywhere," said Toppazzini.

Amber Fritz is a social worker at Réseau Access Network, a non-profit community organization that promotes wellness, harm and risk reduction. It also distributes naloxone kits.

Amber Fritz, a social worker at Reseau Access Network, says naloxone is easy and incredibly safe to use. Mar. 2/22 (Alana Everson/CTV Northern Ontario)

"Naloxone is a very easy, safe medication to use as long as the person is given proper training," said Fritz. "It interacts with the opioid receptors in a person’s brain. Once administered, it knocks the opioids off the person’s receptors, binds to it in its place, which allows the brain to start sending messages to the body to start breathing again."

She said sometimes people are intimidated to use the kit but shouldn't be.

"If you administer naloxone to someone that is not experiencing an opioid overdose, it will not harm them. It’s incredibly safe to use," said Fritz.

Naloxone is a medication that buys life-saving time for paramedics to arrive, she said.