The Guelph Public Library now offers a treatment that has the potential to save lives.
Nasal spray Naloxone kits are now available at the main branch on Norfolk Street. Kits can be picked up at the basement level Info B Desk. The supplies are intended for people who are at risk of an opioid overdose or their family and friends, however the library will not ask for documentation or another form or proof to assess the need.
“It’s something we’ve been working on for a while,” Michelle Campbell, Guelph Public Library Deputy CEO, said in an interview on Friday. “We decided this is a service that we can provide to help to reduce harm in the Guelph community in the downtown.”
Campbell said the library has had Naloxone available through their first aid response for years, but the change was made in light of the closure of Guelph’s Consumption Treatment Services site.
“That’s the reality in our community. The library is a place where people can come and it’s an open public space. We do have the issues that exist in our society in our libraries as well,” she said.
Naloxone is a fast-acting medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, allowing others enough time to seek medical attention.
Naloxone works by ‘kicking’ the opioid off the receptors in the brain and, instead, binds itself to those receptors. The medication can begin to take effect within two minutes of use.
Naloxone only works if someone has taken opioids and, according to Health Canada, cannot create a dependence.
Staff at the library can provide a kit to anyone who asks for one and training is also available.
“Harm reduction supports must be a collaborative community effort and the library recognizes the role we play in understanding the complexity of the opioid crisis in Guelph,” Campbell was quoted in an earlier news release. “With uncertainty around Guelph’s Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site, providing additional supports like Naloxone kits will help prevent overdoses at a critical point for our community.”
As part of the effort, an outdoor community sharps drop box will also be installed within the library parking lot in April.
