Cambridge mayor Doug Craig is asking Waterloo Region to declare a state of emergency to fight the ongoing opioid crisis.

At a regional council meeting Tuesday night the mayor asked staffers to see if it can be done.

“When you lose that many people, like over 71 people, and you have other issues in the community that reflect off of that, it's certainly an emergency in my view and it's one not just in a city or in a neighborhood, it is across the region,” said Craig.

The number of opioid related deaths jumped in Waterloo Region last year to 71, doubling from 36 the previous year.

The main cause is being attributed to the use of fentanyl in the region.

The region is considering establishing up to three supervised safe injection sites, but Craig believes more action needs to be taken now.

A public meeting is being held Wednesday night at Regional Headquarters to discuss the issue.