ORILLIA, Ont. -- Ontario Provincial Police officers have saved 102 lives in two years by administering naloxone.

Frontline OPP officers across the province began carrying it in September 2017.

"The OPP recognizes lives are being lost due to the opioid crisis and we are taking action,” says OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique. “Saving lives by administering naloxone is just one step. Our officers embody the spirit of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act as they assist and protect overdose victims while continuing to criminally charge those responsible for trafficking substances that are causing overdoses and sometimes death."

Windsor is the only major city in Ontario where police officers are not equipped with naloxone.

OPP say the severity of the opioid crisis is evident in the increase of opioid-related overdoses and the number of incidences where officers have had to administer naloxone to save a life.

Statistics from September 2017 to November 2019:

  • The majority, 66 per cent, of naloxone recipients were male and 34 per cent were female.
  • The average age of naloxone recipients was 31.5 for females and 32 for males.
  • Most incidences occurred inside a residence.
  • The majority of opioid-related overdoses occurred in OPP's Central and West Regions.
  • There was a 121 per cent increase in overdose occurrences attended by the OPP from 2016 to 2018.

OPP say they continues to save lives by providing victims with referrals to community specific resources and advising the public about harmful substances. See opp.ca/opioids for additional information.

"At the centre of our response to the opioid crisis is the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act,” says superintendent Bryan Mackillop. “If you see someone experiencing an overdose, we ask that you call 9-1-1 and stay with the victim to provide support. You could be saving a life."

Provincial police say they are determined to hold drug traffickers accountable by laying charges for drug-related deaths.

Charges have been laid for manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death in relation to fatal overdoses, with 13 occurrences during the last four years. Eight of these occurred in 2019.