Help Keep Our Community Safe
This 90-minute training educates participants on stigma, harm reduction, the opioid epidemic, and how to safely recognize and respond to an opioid poisoning with Naloxone/Narcan Intramuscular and Intranasal kits.
Naloxone is a safe and effective tool for responding to a suspected opioid poisoning. Training is free and open to students, staff, and faculty. If you are a member of the Dalhousie surrounding community, we also welcome you to attend Naloxone training. Community members can register by emailing livewell@dal.ca.
You can pick up a kit and will receive a training certificate from the Take Home Naloxone Program. Naloxone & Opioid Poisoning Response Training can also be added to your Co-Curricular Record.
Upcoming Training - Register Today!
When: Friday, September 20 from 1-2:30pm
Where: VIRTUAL on Teams, meeting link will be sent with registration confirmation email.
When: Wednesday, October 9 from 5-6:30pm
Where: VIRTUAL on Teams, meeting link will be sent with registration confirmation email.
When: Wednesday, October 16 from 3-4:30pm
Where: Shatford Room, King's Campus
When: Thursday, October 24 from 12-1:30pm
Where: VIRTUAL on Teams, meeting link will be sent with registration confirmation email.
When: Tuesday, November 26 from 4-5:30pm
Where: VIRTUAL on Teams, meeting link will be sent with registration confirmation email.
If you would like further information, or to request a group training at another date, contact Student Health Promotion at livewell@dal.ca.
Accessing Naloxone on Campus
Naloxone kits are co-located with AEDs (Defibrillators), and easily accessible in a suspected opioid poisoning emergency on Dalhousie Halifax, Truro and Kings College campuses. AED and Naloxone locations are listed for quick reference in the Dal Safe campus map or the DalU app campus map.
Naloxone is a safe and effective tool for reversing opioid poisonings. Members of the Dalhousie community are encouraged to carry Naloxone and can access Naloxone kits in the AED boxes in the event of a suspected opioid poisoning on campus at any time.
Dalhousie Security and the Dalhousie Medical Campus Response Team (DMCRT) are trained and carry Naloxone kits to all security calls on campus. If you are on campus and suspect an opioid poisoning, call Dal Security Emergency Line at 902-494-4109 or send a message via DalSafe App Chat.
Students can also access a Naloxone kit through booking an appointment with a nurse at Student Health & Wellness (Halifax and Truro campuses) or by emailing livewell@dal.ca to arrange picking up a kit.
An opioid poisoning occurs when a person uses more of a drug, or combination of drugs, than their body can handle. This causes, the brain to slow or stop normal body functions. The person may pass out, stop breathing, experience heart failure or seizures. A person can experience a poisoning as soon as the opioid is taken, or it may take many hours. An opioid poisoning can happen when using prescription, over the counter, legal and/or illegal drugs. Drug poisoning/overdoses may be accidental or intentional.
Signs and Symptoms:
People with lighter skin turn blue/purple
People with darker coloured skin turn grey/ashen
Breathing has slowed or stopped
Skin feels cold or clammy
Snoring or gurgling noises
Pupils are tiny
Person is not moving or cannot be woken up
Seizures (in some cases)
- For information about NSHA Take Home Naloxone Program visit the Nova Scotia Take Home Naloxone Program website.
- Many pharmacies in Nova Scotia who dispense Naloxone kits also participate in the Mainline Needle Exchange Brown Bag program for access to safe substance use supplies.
- For information about where to access a kit in other Canadian provinces visit the Government of Canada's Naloxone Resource website.
- For access to harm reduction services from the National Overdose Response Service call 1-888-688-NORS (6677) or visit the NORS website.