Ontario businesses deemed to be "high risk” settings in which opioid overdoses could take place will be required to have a Naloxone kit on-site beginning June 1, 2023, the government announced Wednesday.

Minister Monte McNaughton made the announcement at the Wheat Sheaf Tavern in Toronto Wednesday morning while acknowledging that, in 2021, 2,819 people died from opioid-related causes in Ontario – the highest number on record, according to the ministry.

Naloxone is a medication that can quickly restore breathing in the event of an overdose of opioids. Naloxone is most commonly used as a nasal spray but can also be injected into any muscle in the body, such as the arm or thigh.

“Ontario, like the rest of Canada, is in the middle of an opioid epidemic made worse by a toxic supply of recreational street drugs,” Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, said in a release issued Wednesday.

 “That’s why our government is the first in North America to require naloxone kits be accessible in at-risk workplaces by June 1, 2023, to raise awareness for those struggling with addiction, reduce stigma and save lives.”

Monte

McNaughton also announced that the government will provide free Naloxone kits and training to high-risk small businesses for two years.

Businesses will be expected to self-evaluate their risk level. The ministry says employers must provide a naloxone kit when an employer becomes aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, of the following scenarios:

  • There is a risk of a worker opioid overdose.
  • There is a risk that the worker overdoses while in a workplace where they perform work for the employer.
  • The risk is posed by a worker who performs work for the employer.

The Ministry says that, if all of these scenarios are present, the employer must comply with the OHSA requirements to provide naloxone in the workplace. However, if any one of these scenarios are not present, an employer does not need to comply.

Eligibility can be determined and additional information on accessing naloxone kits and training can be found at Ontario.ca/workplacenaloxone.