TIMMINS - An alert has been issued after an increase in the number of suspected opioid overdoses.
The opioid alert is for the Cochrane District, Northeastern Public Health announced today.
"We are concerned with a recent increase in (the) number of ambulance calls for service for opioid poisonings. This unregulated supply may be tainted, causing increased chances of respiratory arrest which may lead to death. We ask the people who use drugs, their families, partners and loved ones to be cautious, never use alone and ensure you have Naloxone on hand," said Seamus Murphy, Cochrane District Paramedic Service deputy chief of standards, in a news release.
The health unit is encouraging anyone who uses to carry Naloxone, which can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid poisoning. It's available at most pharmacies and in all health unit offices in the region.