The opioid crisis: A toolkit that will save lives on Canadian campuses

Oct 15, 2019

The opioid crisis in Canada is real and growing. It claimed 4,460 lives in 2018 alone.

We shouldn’t be surprised that Canada is the second most affected country in the world[1], or that our youth are at increased risk.

According to a recent Angus Reid poll, substance use is very common on campuses, with 81% of Canadians saying they have witnessed recreational drug use there. Yet, a majority (53%) of Canadians say they don’t know how to respond in case of an overdose.

In light of these troubling facts, CMHA created the Carry It Toolkit, with funding from ADAPT Pharma. This digital resource is designed to help protect college and university students by preventing and responding to opioid overdose.

Whether you are student, or a member of the staff, faculty or administration, this toolkit will offer you relevant resources and teaching tools to demystify the opioid crisis and to make sure your school is ready. The kit will also help campuses create life-saving protocols, including how to administer naloxone, a temporary antidote to opioid overdose.

Anyone can save a life with naloxone. It’s simple, really: if you care, carry it!

For more information, to download the Carry It Toolkit or to learn where to find naloxone near you, visit https://cmha.ca/carryit.

[1] http://www.oecd.org/health/addressing-problematic-opioid-use-in-oecd-countries-a18286f0-en.htm