"Excitingly, we found that Narcan actually looks like it helps," Dillon said. "Not only was it associated with improved rates of people's hearts starting, but it was also associated with improved ...

But Chief Carl Bowker of Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services said the situation is a reminder of the ongoing lack of addictions-care services and the human cost of the opioid crisis locally.

After years of continuously rising opioid overdoses, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that overdose deaths decreased 3% in 2023, the first annual decrease since 2018.