'Be aware of the risks': Health Canada asks students to be safe for Frosh Week

Health Canada wants students with partying on their minds to think about drug and alcohol safety as they enter or return to post-secondary schools.

"What is different in these last few years, and especially in this last year, is that we're really facing a public health crisis with respect to drug use and opioids and overdoses,"saidDr.SupriyaSharma, Health Canada's chief medical adviser.

Nearly 2,500 people died in Canada from suspected overdoses last year, and in Ontario, onein fiveopioid-related deaths involved alcohol.

Sharma says students need to be aware of the medical risks of mixing drugs and alcohol as both products are depressants.

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"The most serious symptom of overdose is actually depression of your breathing, and it can get to the point where you stopbreathing, and, of course, can lead to death,"Sharma.

Even a small dose can be fatal

Sharma said students need to be aware of the risk of contamination if they decide to take illegal drugs or what might look like a prescription pill.

"We are seeing a lot of products that are on the street contaminated with products like fentanyl or other products that are really, very powerful,"Sharma said.

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"And so it's a reminder that anything, even asmall dose, can be fatalespecially in people who haven't taken anything before."

Sharma said students need to be able to recognize the signs of overdose to help save lives.

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"We want people to enjoy their time at this juncture, it's something to celebrate,"Sharma. "But it's really important to be aware of the risks and have strategies to avoid them."

Sharma said overdose symptoms include:

• very small, pinpoint pupils
• skin that's cool and clammy to the touch
• difficulty breathing or low and slow breathing rates
• inability to wake up after falling asleep
• inability towalk or talk properly

Sharma said if you encounter someone having an overdose,you should stay with the person, call for help and consider administering naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of opioids like fentanyl. It's available intake-home kits frompharmacies across Alberta.

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