Simcoe Muskoka reports 4 deaths in 7 days due to illicit opioids

Seven lives have been lost in seven days due to opioids, four of those in Simcoe Muskoka.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is issuing a dire warning of the possibility of a highly potent and potentially fatal strain of illicit opioids circulating in central Ontario.

Police say four of the suspected overdoses in the past week were in Huronia West, Orillia, Southern Georgian Bay, and Huntsville.

The ages and genders of the victims was not released "as the investigations are continuing," OPP stated.

OPP cautions the public that fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid, up to 100 times more potent than morphine and up to 40 to 50 times more potent than heroin.

Another drug currently on the streets, carfentanil, is a synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than fentanyl.

The prevalence of illicit opioids distributed through drug trafficking networks continues to increase, police say.

Fentanyl can be lethal in very small quantities. However, if someone's drug of choice is mixed with or contains fentanyl, it can potentially kill them, experts say.

Opioid users have a higher risk of experiencing an overdose due to fentanyl potency, especially when the fentanyl is illicit and not sourced from a pharmaceutical company, OPP states.

Police warn users that it's impossible for a user to determine the quantity of fentanyl they may be using because you can't see, smell or taste it.

Symptoms of fentanyl/opioid exposure can include:

• Difficulty walking, talking or staying awake
• Blue lips or nails
• Very small pupils
• Cold and clammy skin
• Dizziness and confusion
• Extreme drowsiness
• Choking, gurgling or snoring sounds
• Inability to wake up, even when shaken or shouted at
• Slow, weak or not breathing

Residents at risk of experiencing an overdose are encouraged to have naloxone kits, which are available free of charge at the health unit. Naloxone can temporarily reverse the effects of opioids.

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act (GSDOA) provides legal protection for individuals seeking emergency help during an overdose.

The GSDOA protects the person who seeks help, whether they stay or leave the overdose scene before help arrives, the person experiencing the overdose, and anyone else at the scene when help arrives.

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Anyone with any information about drug trafficking in our communities is asked to call OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.