Drug poisoning warning after weekend spike in ER visits to Peterborough: Health Unit – Peterborough | Globalnews.ca

Peterborough Public Health issued a drug poisoning alert on Monday after a further spike in drug-related emergency room visits over the weekend.

Five drug-related poisoning cases were being treated at the Peterborough Regional Health Center emergency room on Saturday, according to the regional health unit. The health unit serves the City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, the Hiawatha First Nation and the Curve Lake First Nation.

“This is suspected to be the result of an opiate product with increased toxicity,” the health department said.

The last drug alert was issued on September 14 after five drug intoxications that required a visit to the hospital’s emergency department.

According to the latest data on the health unit’s opioid harms portal, there were six suspected fatal drug intoxications in September, fewer than seven in August and more than four in July.

To date in 2022, according to the portal, there have been 38 suspected fatal drug overdoses.

Also in September, there were 35 visits to the PRHC emergency room for opioid overdoses, up from 46 in August and 58 in July.

From October 2021 to September 30, there were 574 emergency room visits for drug poisoning. Of the 574 visits, 58 percent were men. Just over half (52 percent) of the visits are people between the ages of 25 and 44, the portal reports.

For 2022, there were 424 emergency room visits for drug poisoning. Here are the monthly totals:

• Sep: 35
• Aug: 46
• July: 58
• June: 62
• May: 50
• Apr: 51
• March: 40
• February: 52
• January: 30

The health department says anyone who uses drugs or knows someone who uses drugs is asked to take the following precautions:

• Don’t use drugs alone – visit the Consumption Treatment Services website at 220 Simcoe St. (open daily 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
• Test a small amount of the drug before using it
• Avoid mixing medications
• If you are alone, call the National Overdose Response Service (NORS) for virtual safe use at 1-888-668-NORS (6677) or call a friend
• Make sure emergency services can be contacted in the event of an overdose
• Have a naloxone kit ready. You can get a kit at most pharmacies and needle exchange offices. To find out how to access naloxone, visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca and search “opioids” or find the Accessing Naloxone PDF here.

Use Peterborough Public Health’s Drug Reporting Tool to anonymously report overdose incidents and harm in the community.

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