An overdose is when more drugs have been taken than the body can handle. Since 2016, the toxic drug supply has led to many unintended overdoses or “poisonings”.

• Learn the signs of an overdose

• Learn how to respond to an overdose

If you use substances, follow these tips to reduce the chance of experiencing an overdose and to stay safe:          

• Learn about Overdose Prevention Strategies available in VCH – with links
  

• Don't use alone
  

• If using with a someone, stagger your dosing. Read the safer injecting brochure to learn about reducing your risks.
  

• Start with a small amount

• Mixing substances, including alcohol, increases risk of overdose

• Use where help is easily available (e.g. VCH Overdose Prevention Site or Supervised Consumption site, or around other people). Click here for a link to other Health Authority Region Overdose Prevention Services.‎

• Make a plan/know how to respond in case of an overdose
  

• Carry a Take Home Naloxone (THN) kit (and learn how to use it before you need it!)
  

• Have your drugs checked before using at VCH.ca/drugchecking
  

• Use the LifeGuard App
  

• Talk to your health care provider about alternatives to toxic substances

Concerned about someone?

Having courageous conversations about substance use begins by being a good listener. Learn more about how to reach out to the people you care about. How to have courageous conversations - BC Gov

Stop Stigma

The opioid overdose emergency is affecting people from all walks of life, but those affected continue to feel stigmatized. Stigma, or negative attitudes or beliefs, can have a major impact on the quality of life of people who use substances, people in recovery and their families. It can prevent people from getting help. It can also reduce the quality of help people receive and make their condition worse.

Learn how you can stop stigma - Visit the Government of Canada webpage on stigma

Grieving a loved one

The BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU), BC Bereavement Helpline, and the Affected Persons Liaison with the BC Coroners Service have developed a handbook to help people who have lost loved ones due to substance use.

For parents

While youth aged 10 to 18 are not considered high risk for an overdose death, school-aged youth are not untouched by this tragedy, either directly or through family, friends, and media attention to this emergency.

Mom’s Stop The Harm is another resource that supports “families impacted by substance-use related harms and deaths”.

• Letter to parents and caregivers about drug overdose

• Talking to youth about drug overdoses

• Free youth addiction services

For young people

Lots of people are talking about drug overdoses these days because more and more people in BC are having them, including some young people.

• What youth need to know about drug overdoses

• Youth handout: Reduce your risk of a drug overdose

• Free youth addiction services

Recently released inmates (from custody)

Drug overdose is the leading cause of death for individuals recently released from prison. More than 17,000 inmates are released from BC Corrections every year. Approximately 30% of BC Corrections inmates are diagnosed with a substance use disorder. (Pearce & Buxton, 2016)

Studies have shown increased mortality due to drug overdose among people who were recently released from prison, especially within the first 2 weeks after being released.

Former inmates should be aware of this risk and access health services to reduce their risk:

• Overdose Outreach Team (OOT)
  

• THN
  

• Access and Assessment Centre (AAC)
  

Help us warn people about contaminated street drugs

If someone overdoses (OD’s), tell us what happened and we'll send out an overdose alert. Use one of the following methods:  

1. Fill out this anonymous form to report an overdose
   

2. Text “bad dope” to (236) 999-DOPE (3673)
   

Get drug contamination alerts

If you’d like to receive drug contamination alerts, text “alert” to (236) 999-DOPE (3673).

Unintentional deaths and injury from opioid overdose are preventable with overdose and naloxone education. Naloxone can quickly reverse an overdose. People can be trained to recognize and respond to an overdose by using a free THN kit. The training is also free and takes 20 minutes. Find the nearest THN site in the VCH area with the map below. For sites across BC, visit Toward the Heart - Site Locator. 

• Watch this video from Toward the Heart about how to use THN
  

• Zoom naloxone training facilitated by peers
  

• Learn the signs of an overdose
  

• How to use naloxone infographic
  

• Naloxone risk assessment tool for non-public sector organizations
  

• Naloxone risk assessment tool for public sector organizations
  

• COVID-19: Harm reduction and overdose response‎

For VCH staff who want to learn how to distribute take-home-naloxone (THN) you can take the Distributing Naloxone to Clients course on Learning Hub. This was created for VCH staff (Nurses, MDs, Pharmacists, Allied Staff, etc) and takes about 1 hour or less to complete. It counts as being trained as a THN trainer after completing hands-on practice with the VanishPoint syringes drawing up the practice vials at your site. Most sites should have these training supplies through the BCCDC Towards-the-Heart naloxone program, and if not, they can register by filling out a New Site Registration Form, or email our Overdose Emergency Response (OER) team at overdoseresponse@vch.ca and naloxone@bccdc.ca.

Muscle rigidity

Fentanyl-induced muscle rigidity, also known as "chest wall rigidity" and "wooden chest syndrome" is a complication from injecting fentanyl intravenously. The thoracic muscles become rigid, and affect breathing. It can also impact the abdominal muscles and cause them to become rigid. It makes breathing hard, but naloxone can help. Toward the Heart, part of the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), has created a Fentanyl-induced muscle rigidity tip sheet. 

Our team of outreach, peer support specialists and social workers provide connections for people who have recently experienced opioid overdose and/or are at high risk for opioid overdose to substance use care and support. 

We help clients through:

• Navigation to appropriate services (e.g., primary care, detox, treatment, etc.)

• Support in accessing Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) (e.g., methadone, suboxone, iOAT, etc.)

• Overdose prevention education
  

Call (604) 360-2874 and visit the  Overdose Outreach Team page.

As part of Vancouver Coastal Health’s (VCH) harm reduction strategy, and in response to the current provincial opioid overdose crisis, the Overdose Emergency Response (OER) team provides resources and direction on:

• Training VCH staff to respond to and administer naloxone in the case of a suspected opioid overdose;

• Training OPS and SCS site staff to prevent, identify and safely respond to overdoses 

• Training and dispensing Take Home Naloxone (THN) kits to eligible clients;

• Ordering VCH staff naloxone kits and BCCDC THN kits, including training supplies;
  

• Becoming a THN kit dispensing site;
  

• Relevant VCH and BCCDC practice guidelines and policies;
  

• Relevant community overdose response resources

Email overdoseresponse@vch.ca. 

• View the VCH overdose surveillance updates.
  

• Visit the Opioid Addiction & Treatment page to find the overdose prevention checklist for service providers and the guideline for the treatment of opioid addiction for physicians.
  

• For VCH staff who want to learn how to distribute take-home-naloxone (THN) you can take the Distributing Naloxone to Clients course on Learning Hub. This was created for VCH staff (Nurses, MDs, Pharmacists, Allied Staff, etc) and takes about 1 hour or less to complete. It counts as being trained as a THN trainer after completing hands-on practice with the VanishPoint syringes drawing up the practice vials at your site. Most sites should have these training supplies through the BCCDC Towards-the-Heart naloxone program, and if not, they can register by filling out a New Site Registration Form, or email our Overdose Emergency Response (OER) team at overdoseresponse@vch.ca and naloxone@bccdc.ca. 
  

• View the Overdose Response Box
  

• Request support from the OER Team Email overdoseresponse@vch.ca
  

Episodic Overdose Prevention Service overview handout 
An overview of the harm reduction policy that allows clients to use substances at health and community service settings. 

Overdose prevention checklist 
A checklist for service providers who work with people who use substances, for developing overdose prevention and response policies and protocols.

Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) Manual 
A manual for service providers who work with people who use drugs, for developing overdose prevention and response policies and protocols (to develop OPS). 

Housing Overdose Prevention Site (HOPS) Manual 
A manual for service providers who work with people who use drugs, for developing overdose prevention and response policies and protocols within housing facilities (to develop HOPS).

Overdose prevention checklist for washrooms 
A manual for service providers who work with people who use drugs, for developing overdose prevention and response policies and protocols within washrooms.

Naloxone risk assessment tool for public sector organizations.

Harm reduction and substance use resources guide

Overdose Community of Practice: www.overdosecommunity.ca and you can sign up for email updates at overdoseresponse@vch.ca 

Guide to episodic-ops‎

Provincial Episodic Overdose Prevention (e-OPS) Protocol: ‎

Caring for vulnerable populations during a COVID-19 public health emergency

OD prevention & response in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: recommendations for social service settings checklist

VCH COVID-19 resources for vulnerable populations (including DTES, OPS’s, housing): 

Overdose response for community members in the context of COVID-19

Infection Protection and Control (IPAC) Resources

Sneezes + Diseases: COVID-19 community resources