London police said emergency crews responded to 39 overdose-related calls between Wednesday and Thursday, after a suspect allegedly handed out a toxic substance in the city’s downtown. The spike has renewed questions about how the community should respond to the ongoing drug-toxicity crisis.
“We need naloxone, to be available in the community, which it thankfully is. I think the community response to that event was rapid and is one of the reasons that we did not have any confirmed fatalities as a result of the event,” said Alex Summers, medical officer of health at the Middlesex-London Health Unit.
Summers added that the region remains in the midst of an opioid-poisoning criss, and that the community continues to face significant challenges related to problematic substance use.
“We have people who are suffering from severe opioid addiction that is worsening their life, but also putting them at significant risk for overdose and death, and that is particularly true when the substance becomes more unpredictable or potent,” Summers said.
Police said the fentanyl involved in several of this week’s overdose calls were yellow in colour.
“It has an opioid-like effect on people, specifically with respiratory depression and overdoses,” said Lily Bialas, interim director of harm reduction at the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection.
Bialas mentions that she often tells people in the community that substance use and addiction is complex.
Image of fentanyl (Via DEA.gov)
“They require a comprehensive health care and community approach. And hard reduction is one of the pillars that supports that health care approach for people.”
Public health officials said the recent overdoses highlight how unpredictable the unregulated drug supply remains, and that community spaces should be equipped with naloxone.
“These are really key variables to ensure that people aren’t dying from overdose when we’ve got this uncertain drug supply,” said Summers.
