To help save lives, the Canadian Red Cross has added training to identify and respond to opioid poisoning in all its first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) programs offered across the country.

The program modification represents the first of a series of Red Cross measures funded by Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) to help reduce opioid-related deaths by increasing Canadians’ access to response training and a life-saving medication that buys those affected enough time for medical attention.