It may not be at the forefront, but according to Nursing Manager with Turning Point, Sarah Fleck, opioids are being abused in Lacombe and the need for better access to Naloxone is a must.

Fleck gave a presentation last night at the LMC and says there’s more of a stigma behind drug use in rural Alberta communities, causing a higher risk for overdose.

Naloxone medication is used to block the effects of opioids, especially during an overdose and is something that is more readily available in larger city centres.

She said drug use can’t remain a hidden issue.

“It’s actually scary to be a person who uses drugs in a small rural community like Lacombe because there’s less options in terms of accessing harm reduction supplies and less access to Naloxone kits.”

One way they are battling the problem is by providing Lacombe and surrounding communities an outreach worker who is meeting with organizations on ways to help provide more services.

Fleck also said the scariest thing about using fentanyl is you never know how high the dosage is going to be in each pill.

“Because fentanyl is being massed produced and put through a pill press, pills can really range in how much fentanyl they have in them.”

“The fentanyl can have a tiny amount of fentanyl in one pill, which wouldn’t even be enough to give a person a high where the next pill produced in the same batch could have a fatal amount.”

In 2016, there were 37 deaths caused from fentanyl in Central Alberta.