What should a kinship caregiver know about naloxone and overdose safety?
If opioid use is part of the family situation, a simple adult safety plan can reduce hesitation in an emergency and keep children out of the responder role.
Part of our Parental Substance Use resource series. See the main parental substance-use guide for the wider topic and related resources.
Information reviewed September 2026. Services and program details can change, so use the linked PEI source when current access information matters.
Why this belongs in a grandfamily safety plan.
If a child's parent or another close family member uses opioids, the caregiver may be one of the people most likely to witness an overdose. PEI says free take-home naloxone kits are available to anyone at risk of experiencing or witnessing a drug-related overdose.
PEI Take Home Naloxone Program
Signs PEI tells people to watch for include:
- the person cannot be woken or is not moving;
- very slow breathing or no breathing;
- blue or grey lips or nails;
- difficulty staying awake or severe unresponsiveness.
Follow the instructions in the naloxone kit and the directions from 9-1-1. Naloxone may wear off before the opioid does, so medical assessment is still needed even if the person wakes up.
Do not make a child responsible for overdose response.
Older children can be taught how to call 9-1-1 if an adult is unresponsive, but the family plan should not rely on a child administering naloxone, monitoring a parent's breathing or deciding whether an adult is intoxicated.
Keep substances, medications and drug-use equipment away from children.
Use locked or otherwise secure storage appropriate to the child's age and abilities. If unknown powders, pills, needles or other equipment are found, keep children away and use an appropriate adult or public-health route for safe handling and disposal.
Canada's Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides some legal protection when people seek emergency help.
The federal law provides certain protections from simple possession charges and some related conditions for people who call for emergency help during an overdose. It does not protect against every offence or outstanding legal matter. The important safety message is still: call 9-1-1 and stay.
Health Canada: Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act
PEI has free naloxone through pharmacies and community sites.
PEI's current Take Home Naloxone page lists participating pharmacies and community distribution sites across the province. Contact the site before travelling because hours and availability can change.
Emergency planning should also protect the child afterward.
Think about who takes the child away from the scene, who explains what happened in age-appropriate language, whether a planned visit needs to change, and how the caregiver will get support after a frightening event.
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