High Number Of Opioid Overdoses

Windsor-Essex County

Date/Time/Approximate Location

December 5th to December 11th of 2022

Windsor

Event Description (What is Happening? Who is Affected?)

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s Opioid and Substance Use Notification System identified an increase in the number of opioid overdose Emergency Department (ED) visits reported inclusively between December 5th and December 11th of 2022.

Over this seven-day consecutive period, there were a total of eleven (11) opioid overdoses flagged by the system, six (6) of which involved fentanyl. These values exceed our two and five year historical averages by more than three standard deviations above the mean. During this same time period, the system also recorded a total of twelve (12) EMS calls for suspected drug use. Together, these values meet our criteria for a public Alert.

Partners involved in the WECOSS, including the WECHU, Windsor Regional Hospital, Essex Windsor-EMS, Erie Shores Healthcare, and Police Services, continue to monitor this increase and are working to understand more about these reported cases.

Suggested Actions

Please share the Alert amongst your networks.  If you are aware of any linkages between these cases or other causes for these increases, please contact the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
 

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS USING OPIOIDS, HERE ARE A FEW IMPORTANT SAFETY TIPS:

  • Never use alone.
  • Try a very small amount first – “Start low and go slow.”
  • If you use with a friend, do not use at the exact same time.
  • Avoid mixing substances.
  • Call 9-1-1 immediately if something doesn’t feel right.
  • Have naloxone ready. Know how to respond to and prevent an opioid overdose.
     

You can also visit the WECOSS Data Dashboard for additional statistics on opioid and other substance use in Windsor-Essex County.

Source

WECHU (Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance Application - ACES), Essex-Windsor EMS Overdose Notification System, Windsor Police Services