July 23, 2026
RE: Bill 121, Save a Life Act (Naloxone Kit Registration and Public Access), 2026
Dear Members of Windsor-Essex County Board of Health,
What if naloxone kits were co-located with AEDs and in other critical public spaces across Ontario?
MPP Dr. Robin Lennox, Hamilton Centre and her colleagues MPP France Gélinas, MPP Lisa Gretzky, and MPP Lise Vaugeois have recently introduced Bill 121: Save a Life Act, 2026, and are requesting the support of your Board of Health as we confront the toxic drug crisis in Ontario.
The Save a Life Act would ensure that naloxone is available in public spaces where opioid poisonings may occur. Currently, Ontarians’ lives are saved by automated external defibrillators (AEDs) which are housed in community centres and other public spaces. This legislation will ensure that naloxone is equally accessible and available to save lives.
Expanding access to naloxone in public spaces has the potential to save lives by enabling rapid intervention during opioid poisonings, even before emergency responders arrive. Paramedic responses to opioid poisonings are rising in Ontario. Across Ontario, EMS calls for opioid toxicity rose from 604 (Q1 2025) to 739 (Q2 2025) to 1,024 (Q3 2025).
Ontario's health-care system continues to face considerable pressures, particularly within emergency medical services, emergency departments, and critical care units. Community-based interventions to respond to opioid poisonings could reduce the demand on already strained acute care resources.
Considering these public health benefits, we respectfully request that your Board of Health pass a motion endorsing Bill 121, Save a Life Act, and forward a copy of the motion to the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Health in support of this important initiative.
Sincerely,
Robin Lennox, MD, CCFP Lisa Gretzky
MPP Hamilton Centre MPP Windsor West