Overdose warnings have been issued throughout southwestern Ontario this week

Multiple agencies have issued overdose alerts in the last few days, with several suspected overdose-related fatalities reported.

The latest alert came Wednesday afternoon from the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy (WRIDS), which said in the last few days, it had responded to four suspected drug poisoning related deaths.

According to WRIDS, the four deaths occurred between Feb. 22 and Feb. 26.

One suspected drug overdose poisoning death was related to red or red-rainbow coloured fentanyl, the agency said.

The warning comes less than two weeks after WRIDS issued a similar alert, reporting a spike in overdoses and three suspected drug poisoning deaths from Feb. 11 to Feb. 14

These two alerts combined mean the region saw seven suspected drug-poisoning fatalities in February.

BRANT COUNTY HEALTH UNIT

On Tuesday, an increase in suspected opioid overdose-related deaths in Brantford-Brant prompted an alert from the Brant County Health Unit (BCHU).

The health unit said so far this year, it is aware of nine suspected opioid-related overdose fatalities, with most of these fatalities occurring in public settings.

“Please use caution when using any type of drug that is not prescribed to you,” the health unit said in a release. “If you are a new drug user, you are particularly at risk should you use drugs that may have unpredictable potency or contain unexpected and dangerous contaminants.”

Emergency department visits for opioid overdoses per 100,000 people in Brantford have outpaced the Ontario rate over the last six years.

According to data from the health unit, the rate of opioid-related overdoses in Brant County per 100,000 people was 185.9 in 2022, down slightly from the 204 recorded in 2021.

The alert comes around a week after the health unit and the board of health voiced its support in favour of opening a Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site in Brantford-Brant.

An open letter signed by Dr. Rebecca Comley, acting medical officer of health, and Susan Brown, chair of the board of health said, “the public health benefits of CTS sites go beyond saving lives.”

GUELPH

Statistics from public health show between Feb. 23 and March 1 the City of Guelph saw five events where an overdose or a serious negative reaction occurred.

Emergency services were call in three events.

There was one fatal event.

The health unit said the substances believed to be involved were primarily fentanyl.

GREY BRUCE PUBLIC HEALTH

Meanwhile, Grey Bruce Public Health (GBPH) issued a warning on Monday after three overdoses, one of which was fatal, were recorded in recent days.

“A Grey-Bruce resident died Friday of a suspected fentanyl overdose,” the health unit said in a news release. “It is believed the individual, who was in their mid-40s, had been using yellow and purple fentanyl as well as methamphetamine, intravenously and via inhalation. Toxicology results are still pending.”

The other two overdoses, which were non-fatal, occurred on Friday and Sunday, the health unit said.

“Grey Bruce Public Health is issuing an alert to its community partners, people who use drugs, and the general public about this recent series of drug poisonings in our community. This alert is intended to advise people to exercise extreme caution when using unregulated street drugs and follow critical harm reduction recommendations, particularly not using drugs alone or calling National Overdose Response Service if you cannot use with someone else,” said Alexis Cook, program manager of GBPH’s harm reduction program.

WOODSTOCK POLICE ISSUE WARNING

Over in Woodstock, another notice about an influx in opioid ovedoses in recent weeks.

This time it was Woodstock police who said on Twitter: “Officers have given as many as 8 doses of Naloxone at 10 different overdose calls since Feb 13.”

In a tweet, Nick Novacich, the deputy chief with Woodstock police, said officers have responded to numerous calls for overdoses in the City of Woodstock over the past number of days.

“Luckily quick response of police administering narcan and EMS response have saved lives,” the tweet said.

Southwestern Public Health, the health unit that covers Woodstock, said it has received reports from multiple community partners including Woodstock Police, of multiple non-fatal poisonings that have occurred in the last week

“The overdoses are suspected to be related to very toxic fentanyl currently circulating,” the health unit said.

The health unit noted the reports cover different colours of fentanyl, including blue fentanyl as well as beige fentanyl

The health unit said it has received reports that overdoses are requiring multiple doses of naloxone, with as many as eight doses given in one overdose.

WINDSOR-ESSEX COMMUNITY HEALTH UNIT

Last week, the Windsor-Essex Community Health Unit issued an alert thought its Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s Opioid and Substance Use Notification System due to a high number of opioid overdoses.

Between Feb. 17 and Feb. 23, the system flagged a total of nine opioid overdose emergency room visits, six of which are reported to have involved fentanyl.

“The system also identified three consecutive days of suspected opioid overdose EMS calls between February 21 and February 23. During the seven-day period, there was a total of 10 EMS calls for suspected opioid overdoses,” the alert reads.