After four more people suffered suspect overdose-related deaths in the area, the community drug alert for Waterloo Region has been extended.
The Overdose Monitoring Alert and Response System (OMARS) initially issued an alert on May 28 after 35 overdoses occurred between May 23 and May 26.
Since then, four more people have died and there have been an additional 50 overdoses reported in the area.
“The unregulated drug supply is unpredictable and unexpected reactions may occur, including a current trend of heavy sedation,” the alert noted. “Drug overdoses/poisonings may require multiple doses of naloxone.”
The consumption and treatment services (CTS) site in Kitchener has a drug-checking program and OMARS says fentanyl samples have shown the drug mixed with fentanyl analogues, benzodiazepines (including bromazolam and Xanax) and xylazine.
The colours of concern include red, reddish-orange, reddish-pink, green and grey.
The agency notes that “while a connection between the substances identified and the reported drug overdoses/poisonings is not known, details on these substances are included for your information.”
An alert was also issued on May 15 after three people died over a three-day span due to drug overdoses.
As of Sunday, there had been 34 suspected overdose deaths in the area, according to WRIDS. This follows on the heels of 65 deaths in 2023.
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