London's police chief and top medical official are speaking out after five men are believed to have fatally overdosed in London over the past week.
“Five men have died since March 30, including two yesterday,” police Chief John Pare said in a statement issued Friday morning. “It is truly alarming so I am pleading with those who use drugs to be careful, and with family and friends of those who may use to talk to them about safety planning.”
According to police, one man died of a suspected overdose last Saturday, two died Sunday, and another two died Thursday. While the causes of death still have to be confirmed by the coroner, police believe they were all the result of drug overdoses. It's believed at least three involved the use of fentanyl.
“We don’t usually release information about overdose deaths,” Pare said. “But we are extremely concerned about this series of deaths and want to reinforce that people need to take precautions.”
In recent days, police services in London, Woodstock, and Brant County have reported an increase in overdoses, possibly tied to what is believed to be a new, highly potent form of fentanyl. Brantford police reported three opioid-related deaths and three other overdoses that resulted in hospitalization over the weekend. In Woodstock, police were called to six separate overdoses Friday and Saturday, one that led to the death of a 17-year-old boy. OPP also said they received reports of overdoses in Tillsonburg, Ingersoll, Norfolk County, and Sarnia.
On Tuesday, the Middlesex London Health Unit issued a warning in the wake of 16 overdoses.
“It pains me having to keep talking about this ongoing tragedy. There are so many excellent things happening in this community and yet for some families, the social fabric is unravelling. Each of these men was someone’s son,” said Dr. Chris Mackie, medical officer of health and CEO with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “Please seek help for yourself or your loved ones. There are options for treatment no matter where you are in your journey, from supervised consumption to suboxone.”
In Friday's statement, Chief Pare repeated what has long been said by public health officials when it comes to the use of opiates.
“Please, do not use alone. Make sure you have a naloxone kit. Know the signs of an overdose and call for help immediately,” he said.
Naloxone kits are available through the health unit, Regional HIV/AIDS Connection and pharmacies across Ontario.
London’s interim Consumption and Treatment Service, formally known as the Temporary Overdose Prevention Site, at 186 King St. is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The site allows people to consume pre-obtained narcotics under the supervision of health professionals and referrals to addictions treatment and mental health counselling.
