KITCHENER -- New data has been released on the number of fatal suspected overdoses in Waterloo Region.
In 2019 there were a total of 63 fatal overdoses according to Waterloo Regional Police.
That’s a slight increase from 2018 when the number of opioid-related deaths was 61.
However it’s much lower than the 86 deaths reported in 2017.
Public Health says there were also 1,115 overdose-related calls in 2019.
That’s 262 more calls than the previous year.
Bryan Larkin, the Waterloo Regional Police Chief, says arrests and seizures aren’t enough to address the opioid crisis and more treatment options are the solution.
