Alert issued due to increase in opioid-related overdoses

Eight opioid overdoses, including six involving fentanyl, were reported by local hospitals last week, prompting a community alert.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s surveillance and monitoring system identified an increase in opioid-related emergency department visits and substance use-related EMS calls between Feb. 21 and Feb. 27.

Over this period, Windsor Regional Hospital and Erie Shores Healthcare reported eight opioid overdoses.

The health unit says these values fall below its five-year historical average for that week, but are higher than its two-year average.

Windsor Regional Hospital also reported five fentanyl non-overdoses during the same period, which is relatively high in comparison with past values.

The alert says substance use-related EMS notifications were also received three days in a row from Feb. 25 to Feb. 27, with a total of nine notifications flagged.