Less than four weeks after the closure of Sudbury's only supervised drug consumption site, the Community Drug Strategy is reporting an increase in the number of drug poisonings - overdoses - and unexpected reactions from the use of substances in the Sudbury and districts area.
The Community Drug Strategy (CDS) is a joint initiative of Public Health Sudbury and Districts and the Greater Sudbury Police Service aimed at reducing the incidence of substance use and reducing the range of harms associated with substance use.
A new warning statement issued Thursday afternoon said there are community reports of rising incidents of overdoses, along with reports of the unexpected reactions from people who consume street drugs.
It was on March 31 of this year, less than four weeks ago, that the Sudbury supervised consumption site, known as The Spot, was closed by Réseau ACCESS Network because of insufficient funding from any levels of government.
"While we cannot confirm the substance(s) causing the overdoses, this situation serves as an important reminder to the community that street drugs may be cut or mixed with substances such as benzos (benzodiazepines), xylazine, fentanyl, or carfentanil. Frontline workers warn that more toxic substances may be circulating locally," said the news release from CDS.
The warning further states that an overdose, or poisoning, occurs when a person uses a substance and their body is unable to handle the effects. As a result, the brain is unable to control basic life functions. The person might pass out, stop breathing, or experience a seizure.
The warning further stated that these overdoses can be fatal and non-fatal.
"Some of the drug poisonings reported recently have been resistant to naloxone. We would like to stress the importance of giving naloxone, calling for help, and providing CPR and rescue breathing until help arrives if you suspect an overdose. Naloxone will help reverse an opioid overdose and will do no harm if the overdose is not related to opioids," said the warning.
Additional information on how to deal with overdose events is posted on the health unit website.
