Slightly fewer opioid-related deaths in Sarnia-Lambton in 2022: public health

Lambton saw slightly fewer opioid-related deaths in 2022, compared to the previous year, according to the latest preliminary data from public health.

There were 34 opioid-related deaths among Lambton County residents in 2022, representing a decrease of 8.2 per cent from the 37 opioid-related deaths recorded in 2021, according to Public Health Ontario.

That’s similar to the 12 per cent drop in opioid-related deaths provincially during the same time period, said Shaun Bisson, with the local health unit.

“It’s down across the board,” he said.

While the decline is encouraging to see, he said, the numbers can change for up to two years as cases are investigated and confirmed by the provincial chief coroner’s office.

“It’s a good decrease that we’re seeing, but this is just preliminary data, so we would caution against reading too much into it,” Bisson said.

Lambton saw a record-high 43 opioid-related deaths in 2020, as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the opioid epidemic that’s been fueled by the use of powerful narcotic painkillers such as fentanyl.

There were 21 opioid-related deaths in Lambton in 2019.

In 2018, there were 13.

All other years, dating back to 2005, there were 11 or fewer, Public Health Ontario records show.

Historically, there have been more opioid-related deaths per capita in Lambton than the provincial average — 19.1 per 100,000 people in Ontario in 2021, versus 28.5 per 100,000 people in Lambton.

AT recent report on opioid-related deaths among Ontarians who’ve worked in the construction industry — finding they accounted for one in 13, or eight per cent, of all opioid deaths toxicity in the province — is also important, said public health supervisor Anita Trusler.

“We recognize that Lambton County has a significant number of individuals working within that sector, so those are certainly things we are monitoring,” she said.

Having naloxone on hand, not using alone, avoiding mixing drugs and using small amounts to start are all public health recommendations, she said.

“So that, if it is toxic supply, if they’re going to have adverse effects, they’re not going to have a large volume within their system, so that we’re better able to respond,” she said.

In February, Ontario warned the toxic animal tranquilizer xylazine was showing up in the drug supply, and that benzodiazepines — also showing up in the supply — used with opioids presented a high risk of toxicity.

“Knowing that our drug supply comes in from the Toronto area, the Hamilton area and whatnot, we can probably just assume that the risk is in our community as well,” Trusler said.

There’s also immunity from prosecution and other charges provided under Canada’s Good Samaritan law for those who call 911 or are at the scene when help arrives for a person suffering an overdose, officials with the local health unit said.

Trusler is hopeful a recently unveiled drug and alcohol strategy for the county also will make an impact, noting some of the first recommendations to the steering committee are expected later in June.

One opioid-related death in Lambton has been reported so far for 2023, in January, Lambton public health’s latest update says. There were 158 that month provincially.

There have also been 70 opioid-related emergency medical services calls, versus 32 for other reasons since the year began, the update says.

There have been 40 opioid overdose-related emergency department visits, versus 3,235 provincially, it says.

The health unit and community partners, not including pharmacies, have distributed 1,514 naloxone kits in Lambton so far this year, it says.