An increase in drug overdoses in Windsor-Essex over the past few days has led to an alert.
The alert was reported Saturday morning by the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS), of which the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is a partner.
According to the alert, between January 18 and January 20, the health unit’s surveillance and monitoring system identified nine fentanyl-related emergency department visits, six opioid overdoses involving fentanyl as well as one additional overdose involving methamphetamine.
The WECOSS said the overdose numbers during this time frame are higher than expected when compared to historical numbers for the same reporting week.
"Although not formally confirmed through hospital verification processes, information received in reports from a local community partner have described the use of Carfentanil as the cause of some recent overdoses," read the alert.
The WECOSS, the local health unit as well as Windsor Regional Hospital, Essex Windsor-EMS, Erie Shores Healthcare, and Police Services are continuing to monitor the increase and working to understand more about the reported cases.
WECOSS has provided comprehensive information on opioid overdose prevention and treatment, as well as administering naloxone in the event of an overdose. For details, visit their official website.