The New Brunswick government will buy about 2,500 naloxone kits to be distributed to front-line addiction workers throughout the province, in response to the growing opioid use epidemic in Canada. The government will spend $150,000 to buy the kits, which will be distributed through needle exchange programs with AIDS New Brunswick, SIDA/AIDS Moncton and AIDS Saint John, as well as withdrawal management services. Jennifer Russell, the acting chief medical officer of health, says 2,500 kits will be distributed to needle exchange and withdrawal management programs throughout the province. (Catherine Harrop/CBC )Matthew Smith, executive director of AIDS New Brunswick, said the program was tremendously important. He said his organization has had clients of its needle exchange program die from opioid overdoes in the last year.

Source: CBC News November 29, 2017 18:22 UTC