Health officials issue opioid overdose alert after spike in numbers

For the third time this year, Windsor-Essex health officials issued an alert in regards to an increase in opioid overdoses in the area.

Over a seven-day span Feb 17 to Feb. 23 the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's (WECHU) Opioid and Substance Use Notification System reported nine opioid-related overdoses. Six of those involved fentanyl.

The Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS)also identified three consecutive days of suspected opioid overdose EMS calls Feb. 21 to Feb. 23 and reported 10 EMS calls for suspected opioid overdose during the seven-day span.

The WECOSSis a partnership betweenWECHU, Windsor Regional Hospital, Essex Windsor-EMS, Erie Shores Healthcare and police services. The groupis working to understand more about the recent uptick in overdoses, the alert issued Friday stated.

The WECHU is looking to hear fromanyoneaware of a link between these cases or other causes for these increases.

In total, 86 people in Windsor-Essex died from opioid overdoses in 2021, the most recent year data is available.