City fears new spike in opioid overdoses

The chair of Ottawa’s Drug Users Advocacy League fears the city could see a spike in drug overdoses this week with a dangerous new supply of fentanyl on the street — and welfare cheques about to be issued.

At least six more people required emergency treatment for suspected opioid overdoses at The Ottawa Hospital during a 24-hour period this weekend as a local drug users’ group warned that a deadly form of fentanyl has hit city streets.

“High grade fentanyl influx in Ottawa, people,” the Drug Users Advocacy League (DUAL) tweeted to its followers.

“Please be safe! And carry Naloxone!”

Sean LeBlanc, chair of the advocacy group, said in an interview Sunday that users have reported a potent new batch of fentanyl has arrived in the city from Western Canada.

“And we are very worried,” LeBlanc added, “because the Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program cheque cycle is coming this week, which always brings with it an increase in overdoses.”

He said local doctors have compounded the problem by substantially reducing pain medication prescriptions in response to what is now seen an opioid epidemic. That has forced some people, LeBlanc said, to turn to street dealers in search of potential alternatives, such as fentanyl or carfentanil.

The Ottawa Hospital reported that its emergency staff dealt with six suspected overdose cases on Saturday, and on Sunday afternoon Ottawa paramedics responded to a report of a 36-year-old woman in a car suffering a drug overdose and foaming at the mouth.

The weekend events followed a public warning about a city-wide surge in opioid overdoses.

Public health officials said Friday that Ottawa hospitals dealt with 15 potentially life-threatening overdose-related emergency room visits during a 72-hour period late last week.

Andrew Hendriks, manager of clinical services at Ottawa Public Health and chair of the Ottawa Overdose Prevention and Response Task Force, warned drug users to carry naloxone, a medication that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

Naloxone is available at no charge, over the counter, at more than 80 pharmacies across the city; hospitals have also increased their supplies of the drug.

Officials believe fentanyl is driving the surge in overdose cases; some patients have required high doses of Naloxone to reverse the powerful drug ’s effects. No deaths have been reported in the recent wave of overdoses.

“We really just want to use this as an opportunity to tell people there’s dangers associated with counterfeit pills,” Hendriks warned on Friday.

“And if you’re not getting your medications from pharmacists, or from health-care providers, you’re at risk for an overdose.”

Officials encouraged anyone who suspects an overdose to immediately call 911, even if naloxone has been administered.

Signs of an overdose can include slow breathing, blue lips and nails, choking or gurgling noises, or cold and clammy skin.