Naloxone saved 400 Albertans from fentanyl overdoses in one year

Naloxone kitssaved 408 Albertans from dying from fentanyl overdoses in one year, MLAsonthe public accounts committee were told Tuesday.

Dr. Verna Yiu, president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, said EMS staffadministered naloxone to 2,370 patients between January 2015 and August 2016.

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Yiu said 6,000 naloxone kits were distributed in one year. Another 10,000 take-home kits are available for distribution at 883 centres across the province.

Figures from AHS show153 Albertans died due to fentanyl in the first six months of 2016.That's up from the 139 deaths recorded in the first six months of 2015.

Overall in 2015, 274 peopledied due to fentanyl overdoses in Alberta.

Naloxonetemporarily reverses the effects of the deadly, highly addictive drug, giving people more time to get emergency medical treatment.

In December, Alberta allowed emergency medical technicians to administer naloxone.

Prior to these changes the drug could only be administered byphysicians, nurses, paramedics and fentanyl users themselves.