Hastings Prince Edward Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ethan Toumishey, (Photo: Mary Thomas/Quinte News)
Hastings Prince Edward public health officials report that five people died in the area in September from suspected drug poisoning.
health officer dr. Ethan Toumishey to Quinte News HPEPH has received increasing reports of suspected drug intoxications in the area.
Toumishey says wWhile local partners continue to investigate the situation, including the substance linked to these events, increasing reports of suspected drug intoxication are often the result of new and/or toxic drugs being introduced into the area.
He says: “It is very worrying. This is very recent data, so we would like to work with the partners on this data ourselves.”
“It’s a very worrying spike that we could see noticed because that would be a very, much higher rate than we expect or have seen in our community. So very strong impact. It is very concerning.”
The health department is aware of approximately five drug-related deaths between September 19 and 26.
That’s four times the weekly median of last year.
Toumishey added: “This is part of a long trend we’ve been seeing where the increasing impact of overdose deaths in our community is being linked to drug poisoning. We’ve seen the effects of fentanyl and other compounds.
“So this would be a data point of concern over the past week at a much higher rate than we might expect, but this is part of a problem we’ve seen in our community for years.”
Since not all drug poisonings are reported, the health department assumes that the number of poisonings in the community is even higher.
Officials say anyone who uses drugs is urged to take steps to reduce their risk: some officials recommend — never using drug users alone, avoiding mixing drugs, and trying a small amount first.
dr Toumishey noted, “Taking a harm reduction approach, we are working towards distributing harm reduction providers such as naloxone or drug use kits that would reduce the likelihood of contracting infections such as HIV or hepatitis B. So that’s something we’re working on with community partners to do some of that distribution. Working with partners so we have a good picture – this monitoring of the impact on our communities. And we will continue to work on projects, he said.
The Health Department also released the following information:
Anyone who uses drugs is urged to take steps to reduce their risk:
- Never use alone
- Avoid mixing drugs,
- Try a small amount first
- Have at least one naloxone kit ready.
Taking drugs alone significantly increases the risk of fatal drug poisoning. If you use it with someone else, don’t use it at the exact same time. If you must use drugs alone, contact an overdose prevention service such as National Overdose Prevention Services by phone at 1-888-688-NORS(6677). When you use this non-judgmental service, a person will stay on the line with you while you’re on drugs and if you lose consciousness, they’ll call for medical attention to help you.
You can help! Seek support and harm reduction services for yourself or others.
If you or someone you know is struggling with drug use and would like support, visit HPEPH’s get help Side. To protect yourself and others, watch out for the signs of opioid poisoning and grab a free naloxone kit. Naloxone is available at many local places, including pharmacies. For a list of places where naloxone is available, see hpepublichealth.ca/safer-drug-use.
You can help! Call medical help.
Drug intoxication is a medical emergency. Anyone who suspects drug intoxication or witnesses drug intoxication should call 911. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides some legal protection against simple drug possession charges for anyone who experiences, witnesses, or responds to drug intoxication and calls 911.
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