Photo Courtesy The Canadian Press

By Veronica Beltran

overdose prevention app

New app could help save lives from overdose

Jun 15, 2020 | 1:56 PM

VICTORIA—There’s an app for everything, and that even includes overdose prevention.

In a release by the B.C. Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), it says they have partnered with regional health authorities and Lifeguard Digital Health to launch the Lifeguard App.

“The launch of this new resource couldn’t have come at a better time.”—Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions

“As we face down two public health emergencies – the overdose crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic – we must ensure that people who use drugs have the resources they need, when and where they need them. Knowing that the majority of people who use drugs use alone in shelters, hotels, or at home, in addition to the challenges of physical distancing, the Lifeguard App is a new and innovative approach that can directly link people to emergency responders if an overdose does occur,” says Minister Darcy.

The app is activated by the user before they take their dose, after 50 seconds the app will sound an alarm if the user doesn’t hit a button to stop the alarm—indicating they are fine—the alarm grows louder. After 75 seconds a text-to-voice call will go straight to 9-1-1, alerting emergency medical dispatchers of a possible overdose.

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“This is a tool that specifically supports those who are most at risk of overdose death – people who use alone.”—Susan Wannamaker, Executive Director, Provincial Health Services Authority

The Lifeguard app is being added to the list of essential health and social sector interventions as part of the Overdose Emergency Response Centre’s response to the overdose crisis in B.C.

PHSA says it has been working closely with B.C. Emergency Health Services, Vancouver Coastal Health, the Overdose Emergency Response Centre and other regional health authorities for the past two years to test and pilot the app in controlled environments.

People who use drugs are encouraged to use with a buddy and to use overdose prevention services and supervised consumption sites.