Grey Bruce Health Unit issues overdose alert
Six drug overdoses within the past week have prompted the Grey Bruce Health Unit to issue an Opioid Alert.
Public health received alerts regarding the overdoses between July 31 and Aug. 3, 2022.
While none of the overdoses were fatal, upon the arrival of first responders, five of the six individuals were unconscious, and three were in respiratory arrest.
Fentanyl is the suspected or probable opioid responsible for five of the six overdoses. Two of the suspected fentanyl overdoses were also mixed with methamphetamines. None have been confirmed by toxicology.
The Grey Bruce Health Unit wishes to advise the public that all street drugs should be deemed highly toxic and fatal.
The health unit urges people who use drugs to do so as safely as possible by following basic harm reduction strategies, such as:
- Avoid using alone.
- When using with someone else, avoid using at the same time;
- Call the Overdose Prevention Line at 1-888-688-6677 if you must use alone;
- Avoid mixing different drugs. Mixing drugs, including alcohol, increases the risk of overdose;
- Use smaller amounts and do test doses to check the strength of the drug;
- Know your tolerance. If using after a period of not using – use less;
- Get overdose prevention training and carry a Naloxone kit.
Overdose is considered a medical emergency. Call 911 or go to the emergency department of your local hospital. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides protection from simple possession charges when 911 is called for an overdose.
Naloxone and safe drug-use equipment are available at the Grey Bruce Health Unit Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and through our participating sites. Call the Health Unit for details, or call 211.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.