The province is making it mandatory for bars and nightclubs to have naloxone kits on site and staff trained to use them.
The government is setting a June deadline.
The kits and training will be provided free of charge and will be available for all businesses and workplaces.
Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton says Ontario has seen a 720% increase in the number of opioid related deaths in the last 20 years.
McNaughton says, “The goal is to get more kits into more hands because we know that’s what’s going to save lives and that’s what this is about. It’s about reducing the stigma and saving lives.”
He adds he would like to see all businesses have naloxone on site by the end of the decade.
