As the opioid crisis and concerns over fentanyl builds in the city, the London Police Service has begun distributing naloxone kits to all of its uniformed officers.
“This is something we’ve been working on for several months in order to equip our officers, not only to protect themselves but to protect citizens when they attend calls for service that involve potential fentanyl overdoses.”
The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) issued a release Tuesday, highlighting the growing concern over fentanyl and its presence in London in different forms, including as a purple Play-Doh-like substance.
According to the health unit, the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario recently reported that nine opioid-related deaths occurred in the London region last November and December. Williams told 980 CFPL that between January and May, police investigated seven confirmed fentanyl-related deaths and another dozen deaths believed to be the result of fentanyl.
The MLHU is working with local and provincial police, the London Health Sciences Centre, Middlesex-London Emergency Medical Services, the Regional Coroner’s Office, and several other partners to monitor opioid-related trends through surveillance data.
“Several data sources are showing what appears to be a steadily increasing presence of fentanyl in our community,” says Dr. Chris Mackie, medical officer of health and CEO at the Middlesex-London Health Unit.
“What this information tells us is that there is likely more of this substance on our streets and that it is being made available in new and different forms that we haven’t seen before.”
The health unit also warns that fentanyl may be mixed with other drugs, without users’ knowledge. Kits containing naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug, are available through the MLHU and local pharmacies for those who use opioids and for friends and family of those who use.
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