The agency group tracking drug overdoses in Windsor-Essex has issued an alert following an increase in emergency department visits.
The Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS) has issued the alert after a rise was reported in opioid-related emergency department visits between December 5 and December 11.
During that time frame, WECOSS recorded 11 opioid-related overdoses. Six of them involved fentanyl.
"These values exceed our two and five-year historical averages by more than three standard deviations above the mean," read the WECOSS alert. "During this same time period, the system also recorded a total of 12 EMS calls for suspected drug use. Together, these values meet our criteria for a public alert."
This is the tenth opioid alert issued by WECOSS during 2022.
WECOSS is a group of agencies that include the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, Windsor-Essex municipalities including the City of Windsor, Windsor police, Ontario Provincial Police, LaSalle police, Essex-Windsor EMS, Windsor Regional Hospital, Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, and others.
Complete information on the alert, and on what to do if you or someone you know is having an overdose, can be found on the WECOSS official website.
