Winnipeg organizations say they are running low on naloxone kits
Community organizations handing out naloxone kits say they are running low, but the province says the issue isn't because of access to the drug.
The province told CTV News it is transitioning to a new supplier for the kits and the back orders have to do with a brief supply issue which has delayed shipping.
Oliver Munroe and his partner make sure to always carry naloxone.
"It could be anywhere, Polo Park, St. Vital. Something is going to happen and you're there to respond really quickly, because we know how it is when people (overdose)," said Munroe.
Naloxone is used to help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, but Munroe said it has been hard to find lately.
"We phoned everywhere, different places. We Googled it to see where they are free."
Resource Assistance for Youth (RAY) typically gets 400 kits to give out for free each month. At the moment, they have about 60 left.
Breda Vosters, the director of grants and information for RAY, said the organization is rationing because its next order from the province's take-home naloxone program isn't expected until next week or the week after.
"But we can go through 60 kits in a day. So what that means for us is that we are going to hit a point where we can't supply anymore of these kits and what that means for substance users is that their risk of deadly overdose is going to skyrocket," said Vosters.
Vosters said RAY isn't the only community group that is short, noting summer is a time where drug use is up.
"There is no bad time for a shortage in supply, but now is a very bad time."
In a statement to CTV News, the province said there is no shortage of naloxone itself, but there is procurement and supply chain issues with different components of the kit.
"Manitoba Health is expecting supply to start arriving this week and over the next several weeks to help fulfil any back orders and anticipated future orders," a spokesperson said in an email.
Vosters said RAY relies on the provincial program, but would also like to see more action on overdose prevention like safe injection sites and clean supply.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump delivers rambling response to his hush money conviction
A day after a New York jury delivered a historic guilty verdict in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee held a press conference Friday where he spoke publicly about the conviction and his White House bid.
Mediterranean diet helps women live much longer, a large new study finds
Women who closely followed a Mediterranean diet lived much longer than those who did not, according to a new study that followed more than 25,000 women for 25 years.
How did Ontario's bankrupt 'Crypto King' travel the world on Scene+ points?
Newly released documents suggest Ontario’s so-called ‘Crypto King’ paid for months of world travels with $13,000 worth of Scene+ points while bankrupt – but how?
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Solutions coming for piled-up bodies outside Newfoundland hospital
Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador say they are only weeks away from a solution to move unclaimed human remains out of roadside freezers and into a nearby hospital.
Jurors weigh death penalty after finding Chad Daybell guilty of killing his first wife and second wife's 2 children
A day after delivering a guilty verdict in Chad Daybell’s murder trial, an Idaho jury will reconvene Friday to weigh whether he will face the death penalty.
Actor Nick Pasqual charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing estranged girlfriend
An actor who has appeared in film and TV projects like 'Rebel Moon' and 'How I Met Your Mother' has been arrested and charged with stabbing his estranged girlfriend multiple times.
'Unprecedented': Human smuggling from B.C. to U.S. soars, using train, Uber and foot
American prosecutors and law enforcement officers say they're dealing with a huge increase in human smuggling from British Columbia.
The northern lights are returning to night skies across Canada this Friday
If you missed the brilliant displays of the aurora borealis over North America on May 10, you may have another chance to see them on Friday night.