The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has issued an alert following a jump in reported overdoses.
The unit's surveillance and monitoring system identified an increase in incidents between October 13 and Tuesday. Between those two dates, there were 11 reported cases of opioid overdoses, eight of them involving fentanyl.
Over a 24-hour period on Tuesday, nine emergency room visits involved substance misuse or overdose-related incidents.
The Windsor-Essex County Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS) includes a variety of partners, such as the health unit, various law enforcement agencies, Windsor Regional Hospital, Erie Shores Healthcare, and Essex-Windsor EMS. All are working to monitor this increase in cases and to understand the causes of them.
The official WECOSS website provides complete information on what to do if someone is using opioids and has an overdose, which is always considered a medical emergency.
WECOSS recommends that anyone experiencing a substance abuse crisis should call the local crisis line at (519) 973-4435. In case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.