There’s a new app that could save you or a friend from overdosing.
It’s called the Brave App and the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) is praising it as another prevention tool:
“The Brave App is designed to connect people at risk of overdose with help they need: an ally they can talk to, a human supporter to help them stay safe, and digital monitoring technology to help them when they’re in danger,” says the HRPS in a release. “The app connects them with a community of overdose responders, and/or professional emergency first responders. The app is another tool that can be used to reduce the harms to individuals, families and communities from substance use, and is a complement to the services and resources that are available in Halton. The Brave App is not a substitute for calling 911.”
The Brave App was developed independently by Brave Technology Co-op, a multi-stakeholder cooperative in Vancouver B.C., and is not affiliated with the Halton Regional Police Service.
Here’s how the App Works:
- A person at risk of overdose can use the app to connect with remote, peer support through a voice call;
- If your supporter thinks you might be overdosing (through a predetermined span of non-response), they will request access to the details of your private Rescue Plan. This plan can include your location, access instructions, and an emergency contact to call instead of, or in addition to, calling 911;
- You will then receive a 10-second countdown alert letting you know that information will be shared unless you indicate that you are ok by dismissing the alert; and,
- If you are unable to dismiss the alert, then that information will be revealed to your supporter, who will only use it for the purpose of sending help.
If you use the app, and your Rescue Plan includes calling 911, frontline officers and other first responders in Halton carry naloxone and want to assist. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides broad legal protections for anyone seeking emergency support during an overdose, including the person experiencing an overdose. This means that individuals, including youth, will not be charged for offences such as simple possession for calling 9-1-1 in an emergency.
In the first six months of 2020, Halton Police officers responded to 168 suspected drug poisonings. One-third of those victims overdosed while alone, and nearly one in five did not survive.
