Opioid overdose deaths soaring

WATERLOO REGION — Twenty-eight people have died of opioidrelated overdoses in Waterloo Region since January, say Waterloo Regional Police.

And the culprit is suspected to be fentanyl.

Police say they can’t be certain, but they believe the deadly drug is contributing to the number of calls police and paramedics are responding to in the region.

The numbers are climbing fast. Last year, 15 to 20 people in total died of overdoses because of fentanyl, said Staff Sgt. Slodan Lackovic, head of drug branch.

In 2015, police said they had 12 seizures of fentanyl, six being in patch form and the remaining six in powder.

Then last year, seizures jumped to 90 — 758 grams of powder.

Lackovic said fentanyl is a priority for drug officers, but not just when it comes to enforcement, but when educating people on the hazards of the potent drug.

Lackovic said officers who are on the front line are also speaking to organizations such as educators, church groups and social service agencies about what to watch for and how to get help, such as the naloxone kits.

The life-saving drug, naloxone, is an antidote to fentanyl.

Used as a prescription painkiller, fentanyl is a highly powerful drug that is now found on the streets and its potency is 100 times that of morphine.

Bootleg fentanyl is produced in illicit labs in China, packaged in foil and easily purchased online. Drug dealers often mix fentanyl powder with other drugs, such as heroin or cocaine.

“Fentanyl is a complex issue. It’s going to take all partners to tackle this issue,” said Lackovic, who regularly meets with the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy group, public health and paramedic services to talk about the local growing drug problem.

Lackovic said a mindshift is needed. Users are victims and the dependency is comparable to a physical illness.

Michael Parkinson, of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council, has been signalling the dire consequences of opioids and how numbers are surpassing deaths on Ontario’s roadways.

In 2015 there was one death every 12 hours in Ontario of opioid-related overdoses, he said.

Last year there were 922 overdose deaths in British Columbia, 25 per cent of them in Vancouver.

Parkinson wants to see a more concerted effort in Ontario to stop what is often termed the “tidal wave” by police when referring to the fentanyl crisis.

But there are some glimmers of hope.

Last December, the federal government introduced bill C-37 to make it easier to open drug injection sites. The bill also makes it more difficult to import bootleg fentanyl into Canada, partly by allowing customs agents to open couriered or mailed packages of less than 30 grams.

Last week, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, a private member’s bill, was passed. The new law would provide immunity from simple possession charges for those who call 911 in the case of an overdose. Also, someone on probation with court-ordered instructions not to be around drugs will not be penalized for reporting an overdose.

Some of the law’s suggestions came from research done by the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.

Lindsay Sprague, coordinator of the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy, said the Overdose Monitoring, Alert and Response System (OMARS) will release a report within the next month looking at the number of overdoses locally and the distribution of naloxone.

In January, the group put a survey online to monitor overdoses. So far about three people a week have completed the survey. It can be found at casurveys.efmfeedback.com/ se/5B0C5C06140756C0

Sprague said wallet-size cards in naloxone kits also point to the survey. On the integrated drug strategy website, there are links for parents on the dangers of opioids. waterlooregiondrugstrategy.ca

Sprague said work continues on opening two “rapid access” centres for those addicted to drugs in Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo.

Addicts — whether using prescription drugs or those sold on the street — will be able to see a doctor and access an addiction counsellor at the centres, she said.

In Ontario, there are seven similar centres where any substance user can get help without waiting weeks to receive treatment to help with an abuse problem.