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Use of opioids, meth, mixed drugs on the rise on Winnipeg streets
Opioid use appears to be on the rise in Winnipeg as overdoses have spiked in the first half of the year.Numbers provided by the city show Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) crews administered Naloxone, a medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, 144 times in May of this year, compared to 75 times in May of 2019.Between January and May, 431 patients required Naloxone. In that same period last year, Naloxone was administered 292 times by first responders.“The increased use of Narcan is really a scary trend, which means that the incoming street drugs that we’re seeing are just that deadly,” WFPS public education coordinator Cory Guest said.