7 SUSPECTED OPIOID DEATHS SINCE OCTOBER

BRACEBRIDGE — It’s a sad fact that over the past nine months, police from the Bracebridge OPP detachment have investigated more than seven sudden death occurrences they believe are linked to opioid use the past nine months.

That’s one every 38.5 days.

Provincial police hope they can change that.

It’s possible, they suspect, that some of those deaths were preventable, had people around the victim not been afraid to call for help, fearing being involved with police.

And possibly being charged.

Not so, say the OPP.

Such deaths are tragic for the victims, their families and for those in our communities, police say in a release Friday.

The OPP continues to investigate those occurrences and in an attempt to prevent more deaths and overdoses from occurring.

They say the Muskoka detachment officers — along with members of Community Mental Health and Addictions Muskoka Parry Sound (CMHAMPS), Muskoka Paramedic Services and the local public health unit — are “proactively engaging the public and providing information in relation to opioids.”

New in their tool belt is The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/video/good-samaritan-law.html), which allows people to report overdoses with impugnity.

Naloxone kits and training on their use are being provided by the Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit.

Police feel such collaborative efforts are necessary to address the growing issue of opioid use in our communities and prevent further opioid-related deaths or overdoses from occurring.

So they remind the public they can feel free to call 911 to report suspected overdoses and can remain anonymous if they like.

See related TODAY.com story at https://wp.me/p9zLkk-2aN