Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Windsor

11 opioid overdoses in a week in Windsor-Essex

A recent increase in the number of opioid-related emergency department visits and calls to EMS have prompted an alert from the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid & Substance Strategy.

Number of overdoses above 5-year average for that period, WECOSS says

CBC News ·
A white tablet cut in two, with powder.
Detected opioid overdoses and substance-abuse cases increased between July 28 and Aug. 3. Nine of the opioid overdoses involved fentanyl. (Radio-Canada)

A recent increase in the number of opioid-related emergency department visits and calls to EMS have prompted an alert from the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid & Substance Strategy (WECOSS).

The group says there were 11 opioid overdoses recorded, eight of which involved fentanyl, between July 28 and Aug. 3.

"These values exceed our two and five-year historical averages for the current time-frame in question," WECOSS said in a media release.

Nine of the opioid overdoses were reported by Windsor Regional Hospital, and the remaining two by Erie Shores Healthcare.

The notification system also identified 18 substance-use-related EMS calls, all of which were made over seven consecutive days.

Seven non-opioid overdoses, all involving fentanyl, were also reported by Windsor Regional Hospital during the same timeframe.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|