Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens admits he's very concerned about the rate of opioid addiction and opioid-related deaths in the community.
Reacting to a recent report by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, he says he's in favour of a regional approach, but senior governments must be part of the solution too.
"When you look at Canada being the highest user of opioid medications in the world, that certainly sends alarm bells to all mayors, premiers and the prime minister as well saying we've got an issue here," he says.
Dilkens wonders if senior governments could take action to address the high rate of patients prescribed medications like fentanyl, heroin, hydromorphone and oxycodone.
He says the opioid crisis came up at a recent meeting of the Big City Mayors attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and he is happy Premier Kathleen Wynne called for her own meeting with mayors.
"We had an hour with the prime minister, and this was one of the three issues that was brought to his attention," says Dilkens.
He says the impact on city services like the police and county services like the paramedics has been profound.
"Some of these new drugs -- if some of our first responders even come into contact with a very small amount, and when I say very small amount I mean it could be just the size of a few grains of salt -- it can actually lead to death," he says. "Of course there's the concern about the general public; there's the concern about our first responders."
The report by the health unit says Windsor-Essex has the seventh highest rate of opioid use in Ontario, and overdose deaths jumped 190% between 2003 and 2015.
- With files from Mike Vlasveld
