Additional Opioid Related Deaths During Current Red Alert
Timmins, Ontario — Additional suspected opioid-related overdose deaths have occurred in the last several days. The Porcupine Health Unit — on behalf of the Opioid Emergency Response Task Force — is urging people who use substances, their friends and their families to take extra precautions. An alert was issued by the Task Force on March 1. Since that time there have several suspected opioid-related deaths.
“Our Outreach workers are out on the streets, focussing on two key efforts, spreading the word about the increased level of toxicity in street drugs in our area right now, and getting Naloxone into everybody’s hands,” said Amy Haapakoski, Program Coordinator, Harm Reduction Outreach at the Porcupine Health Unit. “Extra Naloxone will be critical in preventing deaths, since recent reports indicate that multiple doses are required to help reverse the effects of overdose. It’s not just people who inject drugs who need to be careful: right now, people who smoke opioids are also at a greater risk of overdosing.”
A recent letter from the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario and the Chief Coroner for Ontario underscored the risks of a steady increase in contaminants found in the unregulated drug supply. Evidence indicates that there has been an increase in xylazine and benzodiazepines in Ontario’s unregulated drug supply. These substances, when paired with other drugs like opioids, increase the risk of fatal overdose. The Health Unit has received reports that people are taking longer to rouse from overdose which suggests that these sedatives are present in the local drug supply.
The Porcupine Health Unit is working with naloxone distribution sites and community partners who work with those who use substances to advise clients of the additional risks and ensure access to naloxone throughout our communities.
Most overdose deaths happen when someone else is not around to intervene. The Opioid Emergency Response Task Force is encouraging people who use substances to:
- Never use alone. Visit a Supervised Consumption Site, such as Safe Health Site Timmins at 21 Cedar Street North (open 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily).
- If using with a friend, do not use at the same time or call the National Overdose Response Line at 1-888-688-NORS (6677) (available 24/7).
- Test a small amount first.
- Avoid mixing substances.
- Carry extra naloxone, as multiple doses may be required.
If you suspect an overdose, call 911 immediately, administer naloxone if available, and wait for help to arrive. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides protection from arrest and breaches for simple possession.
People who use drugs, and their family and friends, should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of overdose and how to provide first aid, including administering naloxone. Free naloxone kits are readily available throughout the area at Porcupine Health Unit offices and at many pharmacies. A list of sites is available at the Government of Ontario site.
The Porcupine Health Unit is a member of the Timmins and Area Drug Strategy (TADS). The health unit is located in Northeastern Ontario, providing public health services to the entire Cochrane District and Hornepayne, in Algoma District. The main office is located in Timmins, Ontario, with branch offices in Cochrane, Hearst, Hornepayne, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Matheson, Moosonee and Smooth Rock Falls.