On March 19, 2022, at approximately 7:30 p.m., a General Patrol unit was driving past the 300 block of Portage Avenue when they were flagged down by a person and directed to an unresponsive adult male on the ground who appeared to be experiencing an overdose.
Street Connections (a mobile public health service run by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority) also attended, and an ambulance was requested. Together, officers and staff with Street Connections administered multiple doses of naloxone to revive the male.
Members of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service attended soon after and provided another dose of naloxone. The male was stabilized and subsequently transported to a hospital for treatment.
Naloxone can save lives.
Winnipeg Police Service officers have carried naloxone since 2016 and administered the medication 47 times last year.
Anyone at risk of opioid overdose/poisoning or their family and friends can attend the Street Connections office at 496 Hargrave Street (Main Floor) Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to inquire about a free take-home naloxone kit.
No appointment is necessary, and a nurse or outreach worker will take a brief history, train the person to recognize and respond to overdose – including how to give someone naloxone, and the person will be given a take-home naloxone kit. More information can be found here: https://streetconnections.ca/content.php?navigation_id=2294
Constable Jay Murray, Public Information Officer
Constable Dani McKinnon, Public Information Officer
Constable Claude Chancy, Public Information Officer
Kelly Dehn, Manager of Public Affairs
Office: 204-986-3061
E-mail: WPS-PIO@winnipeg.ca