Opioid alert issued by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit after 15 overdoses reported

Opioid epidemic and drug abuse concept with a heroin syringe or other narcotic substances next to a bottle of prescription opioids. Oxycodone is the generic name for a range of opioid painkillers. Opioids with a heroin syringe or other narcotic substances next to a bottle of prescription opioids. Oxycodone is the generic name for a range of opioid painkillers. (Moussa81/iStock)

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit have issued an alert due to a high number of opioid-related overdoses in the region last week.

The Health Unit states that between April 7 and April 13 there were 15 opioid overdose emergency department visits in Windsor and Essex County, 14 of which involved fentanyl.

There were also 16 substance use-related EMS calls, 10 of which were for suspected opioid overdoses during that week.

Partners involved in the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy, including the WECHU, Windsor Regional Hospital, and Essex Windsor-EMS continue to monitor this increase and are working to understand more about these reported cases.

The last alert issued by the Health Unit was just over a month ago, where 16 opioid overdose emergency department visits were identified between March 3 and March 9.