Health unit issues warning about latest batch of street drugs in county

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is sounding the alarm on a concerning spike in visits to the ER: an average of 28 overdose visits every week.

There is a street drug warning for all of Simcoe County and Muskoka.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) says it has seen a concerning spike in visits to the Emergency Room with an average of 28 overdose visits every week.

“The emergency room visits have really been trending up, higher than what our baseline was and building each week,” says Cathy Eisener, a public health nurse with the SMDHU.

The health unit has joined several others from across the province in issuing the drug warning. The latest batch on the street is mixed with other unknown and in some cases known substances that have been behind many of the overdoses.

“So, when folks are buying what they expect to be fentanyl, there’s about an 80 to 90 per cent chance it will contain medetomidine,” says Eisener.

That drug is a veterinary sedative. Barrie police officers have been equipped with Naloxone for several years, a spray that can be administered to someone through the nose who has overdosed to try and reverse the drugs effects. The Barrie Police Service says it is often dealing with overdoses at a concerning rate.

“Unfortunately, it is something that we encounter on a very regular basis,” says Sgt. Aaron Geertsema with Barrie police. “Bad batches of drugs that get into the streets, then we do see an increase in the amount of overdoses that we do end up dealing with.”

People who use illegal substances are being encouraged to make sure they are not alone and that they have a Naloxone kit nearby. Even if people are given Naloxone, they still need to see a doctor as the drug could wear off, resulting in a second overdose.

The health unit is hoping this message reaches everyone who needs to hear it. Naloxone kits are free and available at local pharmacies.