Barrie councillors will not declare the city's opioid crisis a public health emergency.
The city decided this after a recent report outlined that declaring a public emergency is more suited for something more short-term, like a natural disaster or disease outbreak.
Mayor Jeff Lehman said the opioid crisis requires another solution.
“The opioid crisis, unfortunately, is a long-term issue. It’s one, that as we heard from the medical community last week, is going to take more than a few months or weeks to solve,” said Lehman.
Councillors voted on Monday night in support of sitting with health unit officials to find a way to work together.
The city has sent letters to both the provincial and federal governments asking for help with the opioid crisis.
