Four deaths occurred during a 24-hour period trigger a drug alert in Windsor, Ontario

The director of a hospital in Windsor, Ontario, says she is shocked by a string of seemingly drug-related deaths over a 24-hour period last weekend.

"This is a significant escalation of our problem," said Janice Kaffer, President and CEO of Grace Hospital Hotel-Dieu, in an interview. "We have been fighting addiction in Windsor for some time. This is extremely alarming for me.

The Windsor Police Service said Monday that four people had died this weekend in medical emergencies and that it was too early to confirm the cause of death, "it's possible that each case involves drug use." illicit then private place. "

The police initially reported five deaths, but according to the statement, "thanks to an effective and rapid medical intervention, a subject survived a potential drug overdose."

In 2017, 36 people died of opioid-related causes in the Windsor area, a rate of 8.7 per 100,000 population, according to information provided by Public Health Ontario. The death rate in Windsor, a city of about 250,000, was similar to the provincial average for 2017, which is 8.9 opioid deaths per 100,000 population.

Ms. Kaffer noted that while fentanyl was a problem in Windsor, it was the same for crystal methamphetamine. She said she was waiting to hear more details from police and paramedics in Windsor about what happened over the weekend.

"We do not want to speculate too far ahead of what the data will tell us. It could very well be that they fentanyl-[related deaths]. It could very well be that they were not.

Brandon Bailey, a member of the Overdose Prevention Society of Windsor, said the deaths highlight the city's urgent need for a supervised drug site.

"It's definitely devastating," he said, adding that he probably knew some of the people who died as a result of a drug overdose.

There is no supervised consumption site in Windsor. Health experts believe that these sites are of paramount importance because they provide a safe place for people to take drugs and receive emergency care in case of overdose. They also help connect people to treatment services and some basic medical care. Last month, the Ontario government said it would allow drug abuse sites to remain open, but limits this number, raising fears that hard-hit communities such as Windsor and elsewhere will be affected. , never get a site.

"We can save those lives. We just have to work together, "said Bailey.

Earlier this month, the Windsor Overdose Prevention Society set up a simulated drug addiction site with harm reduction kits, a needle exchange system and naloxone. overdoses, but prohibiting people from using medications on the spot. The goal was to educate the community and also provide a safe place for people who use drugs, Bailey said.

"Drug addicts are human beings," he said. "They must be treated as human beings."

The site was closed Sunday evening at the request of the owner of the property on which he was.