The City of Windsor is addressing the growing trend of opioid use.
Mayor Drew Dilkens announced a community effort to tackle the use of opiates and other drugs in a news conference Friday. The city is joining forces with Windsor police, the Windsor Essex County Health Unit, the Windsor Essex Community Health Centre and others to put together a long-term strategy to handle the problem, which has become problematic for health professionals and law enforcement.
Dilkens says it has been a trend rising all over the country and Windsor is not immune, and he wants to reassure residents that the problem is being attacked on multiple fronts.
"It is a well-coordinated effort among our city, our health unit, police, fire, ambulance, social services, our hospitals, physicians groups, CMHA [Canadian Mental Health Association] and other community health partners," says Dilkens.
The health unit says there were 24 deaths in Windsor-Essex related to opioid use and trends show that such use in the area is higher than Ontario's average. Dr. Wajid Ahmed of the health unit says planning an attack strategy has been a process for months now.
"We came up with our opioid reports which had shown some of those statistics associated with the opioid use in terms of emergency department use, overdose related deaths and admissions," says Ahmed. "This was helpful in trying to find the extent of the problem."
According to statistics provided by Public Health Ontario's website, 38 opioid-related deaths were reported in the Erie St. Clair LHIN in 2015, the most recent year figures were available. Over 180 emergency department visits due to opioid use were also reported that year.
The WECHC's Street Health, which provides care and support to those who are either homeless or at risk for homelessness, is spending $20,000 to place sharps receptacles outside its building on Pelissier downtown, according to executive director Patrick Brown.
"It will be monitored, it will be made available on a 24/7 basis," says Brown. "We will also be purchasing needles and additional harm-reduction supplies."
For complete statistics on opioid use in Windsor-Essex, click here.