Barrie, Orillia see increase in drug overdoses: Simcoe Muskoka health unit

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting an increase in drug overdoses in the cities of Barrie and Orillia.

Between Jan. 26 and Feb. 29, there were 54 suspected unintentional overdoses from opioids and other drugs seen through Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital’s emergency department, according to the health unit.

This is roughly twice the recent averages seen in the facility, the health unit adds.

Over the past weekend within 14 hours, the health unit says, Barrie also saw a cluster of five suspected unintentional overdose emergency department visits at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH).

According to the health unit, it’s unknown what substances were involved in the overdoses at RVH.

2:52 Suspect arrested after 12 people overdose on suspected Fentanyl: Toronto police

In Simcoe County, Muskoka and other areas in Ontario, bootleg fentanyl “is being mixed into many illegally sold street drugs, including in counterfeit prescription pills,” the health units says.

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“Many people overdosing on fentanyl are unaware that there is fentanyl in their drugs.”

On Monday, the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph public health unit reported that 11 overdoses had been reported within 48 hours. The spike was blamed on a potent batch of fentanyl that is either rainbow-coloured or dark purple.

Last week, there was also a rapid increase in overdoses at a supervised consumption site in Toronto, with 12 people overdosing at the downtown facility.

The Simcoe Muskoka health unit is advising drug users to ensure they have someone with them when using, to use small quantities to start with, to make a plan and to know how to respond to an overdose.