By Jeffrey Snodgrass and Mark Lee

As opioid addictions and overdoses run rampant in Canada, hotel and restaurant staffs are discovering that a supply of Narcan can be helpful to combat overdoses that occur on their property.

Given that hotels and restaurants offer private spaces, like guest rooms and washrooms, that appeal to users, including Narcan in hospitality industry first-aid kits is quickly becoming a common practice. The industry also has felt the effects of the opioid crisis first hand, with nearly one in five employees admitting to illicit drug use.

Narcan is the naloxone nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Keeping a supply of Narcan on hand has the potential to save lives. It’s available and relatively inexpensive; and in hard-hit Ontario, it’s even offered free of charge to any resident through their local pharmacy.

Narcan should be kept under lock and key, with access limited to designated employees who have been trained to recognize overdoses and administer the cure. Using it, though, is fairly easy: in the United States, children as young as 6 are learning to “open, insert, squirt” in some of the hardest-hit communities. The spray restores breathing and reverses the sedation and unconsciousness that occur with an opioid overdose.

In fact, the antidote is difficult to misuse. Allergic reactions are rare and any side effects do not outweigh its benefits. Those that do occur may be related to opioid withdrawal, like body aches, increased heart rate, irritability, agitation, convulsions, vomiting and diarrhea.

Before moving forward and stocking your restaurant or hotel with Narcan, consider the following provisos:

  • Do not neglect your drug prevention policy: Your use of Narcan does not substitute for a comprehensive drug prevention policy. If drug abuse is an issue among your employees, education and an Employee Assistance Program are smart moves.
  • Make sure you’re protected as a good Samaritan: Another concern is the potential liability of administering Narcan. Good Samaritan laws provide protection when you and your people act in the injured party’s best interests; however, check with your legal counsel to make sure they apply in your location.
  • Evaluate the risk: A risk assessment is important to ascertain if your hotel or restaurant is at risk of opioid overdoses, as a function of location, employee or guest profiles. While addictions occur everywhere, economically depressed regions have the most vulnerable populations as people respond to hardship, isolation and hopelessness.
  • Keep a record: It’s not just a safeguard against liability but a good management practice to document your formal procedures for training and tracking incidents, as well as protecting the privacy of affected individuals.

More than 17,000 suspected opioid overdoses occurred between January 2016 and September 2019.[1] Nearly 15,000 opioid-related deaths occurred during the same period. This epidemic is far from over. But with Narcan, the industry has another tool to use against it.

HUB International’s team of brokers is available to help your hospitality organization understand and manage its risk and insurance concerns.

 

[1] https://health-infobase.canada.ca/substance-related-harms/opioids/