Officers in the Province of Manitoba receive training in the use of Naloxone, a medication used to reverse the effects of an Opioid overdose.

East District Commander for the Manitoba RCMP, Joanne Keeping, says officers in our province started carrying Naloxone kits with them as of November 2016. "We supply it to them and it's required by all of our front line officers. We provide online interactive training for officers and employees who are in a position where they would need to be able to use it."

Earlier this week, RCMP announced the first dose of nasal Naloxone was administered by officers in our province who were called to a situation involving a possible drug overdose on January13, 2017. When they arrived on scene they found a 20-year-old male unconscious and not breathing.

Acting quickly, because the ambulance was a few minutes away, officers administered the first dose of Naloxone. Keeping says they are proud of the members who were able to use their training. "We are very thankful they were able to do it in a timely fashion, to be able to save the life of a person and give some comfort to the family, knowing that person is still with them."

Because of the influx of Opioid use, Keeping says we need to be mindful of the seeping in and the presence of Fentanyl in our communities. "I think it's just a reminder of the types of situations our front line folks find themselves in, it's also a reminder of our role in our Manitoba communities to save lives, prevent and reduce harm in our communities."

Keeping notes, they also need the support of communities and community partners in order to be able to address this issue.

She says there are warning signs that someone may have experienced an overdose, which includes shortness of breath and pulse, lowering of blood pressure, and a movement similar to being unconscious, especially if there are indicators there is some usage of drugs.