The Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS) presented its annual report to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) board of directors on Thursday, May 16, 2024.
Since implemented in 2018, WECOSS has supported the development and implementation of comprehensive solutions and community-level initiatives to reduce the harms associated with substance use and enhance the quality and range of services and supports for substance use issues in the region.
In 2023, WECOSS introduced a fentanyl test strip distribution program which saw 292 fentanyl test strips distributed and 53 unique clients.
Eric Nadalin, Director of Public Health Programs, WECHU says it was a big success.
"It was a pilot project that we implemented with our shelters. We saw a great uptake and a lot of intent to change behaviours and actual behaviour changes as a result of participation. The expansion in 2024 is going to include xylazine and benzodiazepine test strips. So those two of the substances that have been frequently cited in overdoses as part of the toxic drug supply that's circulating in our community."
As Xylazine and benzodiazepine are not opiods, they are not responsive to naloxone. Nadalin says test strips for both of those substances are now in the community.
Through the Ontario Naloxone Program (ONP), WECHU continued to provide training and naloxone kits to registered ONP partners and recruited eligible community agencies into the ONP.
29 community partners were actively involved with the ONP. Seven of which were on-boarded in 2023 including: Essex Fire & Rescue, Erie Shores HealthCare Emergency Department, CMHA Youth Wellness Hub, CMHA Safe Beds Program, Community Living Windsor, Family Services Windsor-Essex County Homelessness Hub and Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare ACT Program.
Nadalin says in 2023, there were 43 instances where emergency service providers administered naloxone as part of their response.
"Seeing statistics that emergency service providers are using naloxone access through this source in their response to overdoses directly, it's really encouraging for us. So I thought that's something that's important to highlight publicly, as well as the great work of the team within our chronic disease and injury prevention department."
1,487 naloxone kits were distributed by participating ONP partners and 1,106 individuals were trained on naloxone administration by participating ONP partners.
The Opioid and Substance Use Notification System tracks local trends in real-time data to identify spikes in opioid and other substance use-related events across Windsor-Essex County.
Alerts are issued when there are elevated rates of opioid-related emergency department visits and overdoses in the region.
In 2023, there were eight community alerts issued.
Nadalin says there's an appetite to increase the rate at which the alerts are issued.
"I think there's just some structural barriers to that. I will say every alert that we've issued is within seven days of noticing that increase and we take some of that time to gather additional to make those alerts a little more practical as well."
To view the WECOSS annual report click here: wecoss.ca/annual-report-2023.