2 people in hospital after suspected drug overdoses in Vaughan

York paramedics say a manand a woman,both in their 20s,were taken to hospitalearly Friday morning after an apparent drug overdose.

The incident happened in Vaughan, nearBeverley Glen Boulevard and Dufferin Street around4 a.m.

The two people were found unconscious by the person who called police. They wererushed to hospital where they are currently being treated, according to paramedics.

York Regional Police Const. Andy Pattendensaid the man was discovered slumped over the hood of a vehicle, with the woman unresponsive on the ground beside him. They were semi-conscious by the time emergency responders arrived.

Doctors are trying to determine what substance theytook, howevertoxicology tests won't be returned for 30 to 45 days, Pattenden said.

Overdoses haven't been restricted to urbanareas, said Pattenden, pointing to other opioid-related activity in the York region."We've had a significant number of pharmacy robberies over the last couple years, where fentanyl's been the target," he said.

"It used to be [opioid users] cutting up patches and extracting the gel," he said, referring to prescription fentanyl patches made to slowly release the painkiller into a person's bloodstream throughtheir skin. That extraction method was causing many of the overdoses for regular opioidusers, Pattendensaid.

Nowrecreational drug users also find themselvesat risk of overdose, as fentanylhas found its way into the supply of drugs like heroin and cocaine, he said.

The incident follows a rash of overdoses in Toronto last month, including four that resulted in death. Last week a man died in an elevator of a suspected overdose.

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The Toronto Harm Reduction Alliance and theOntario Coalition Against Poverty are holding a rally on Friday afternoon to address what they call thegrowing overdose crisis.