A startling rise in opioid overdoses this month has the Brant County Health Unit posting an alert warning drug users about the danger they are facing.
In the first 13 days of June, there have been 16 overdoses, according to the agency.
In May, there were 19 opioid-related incidents, although last December and in January, there were 27.
“This is a higher number of overdoses than what is typical for a period of this length,” said a news release from the health unit on Tuesday.
It’s particularly concerning as the county’s death-rate from opioids has moved from well under the provincial average in 2018 to well above that average in 2022 and 2023.
In Brantford-Brant, there have been 34 opioid-related deaths in the first five months of the year.
The rate of hospital visits for opioid-related issues has been well-above the provincial average here for more than five years and has been rising through the spring.
The overdoses have not been connected with a specific drug yet.
Those using drugs are used to use caution and remember that new drug-users are particularly at risk for danger from drugs with an unpredictable potency or those that contain unexpected or dangerous contaminants.
If you see someone you believe is suffering from a drug overdose, call 911 immediately and, if possible, administer naloxone, which can temporarily reverse the effects of an overdose from fentanyl, heroin, methadone and morphine.
The agency says 911 should still be called, even if naloxone is given since the injection is temporary and can wear off before someone is recovered.
It reminds people the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects people who call 911 in the case of an overdose from certain criminal charges. It’s in place to encourage people who witness or experience an overdose to seek help.
Anyone taking drugs is urged not to use them while alone. People can call the National Overdose Response Service (NORS) at 1-888-988-6677 and someone can stay on the phone with them while they use drugs and call for help if needed.
Other advice is to take a small dose of any new substance or drugs from a new supplier; purchase from a trusted supplier if possible and carry naloxone.
Remember that drugs may be unexpectedly contaminated with fentanyl.
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