Police are investigating and the Porcupine Health Unit has issued a public safety alert after two people died of suspected opioid overdoses.
Timmins Police Chief John Gauthier said two adults were found in medical distress in a South Porcupine apartment early this morning.
They were brought by ambulance to the hospital, where both were pronounced dead.
The names are being held pending the notification of next-of-kin.
Gauthier said opioid use is suspected, however post-mortems will determine the causes of death.
“There was a certain amount of evidence within the residence that would draw us to that conclusion,” Gauthier said.
So far this year, he said the Timmins ambulance dispatch centre has received 31 calls for possible overdoses. Of those, Naloxone was known to be used seven times, either by someone on scene or a paramedic.
Those numbers, he explained, are information received by dispatchers at the 911 centre and can’t be substantiated.
With the number of suspected opioid-related incidents, the Porcupine Health Unit has issued a public safety alert.
“We’ve been seeing continually increasing numbers of opioid-related incidents through our emergency department visits, our primary care visits and through our harm reduction services at the Porcupine Health Unit,” said Dr. Lianne Catton, PHU Medical Officer of Health.
In light of the tragedies, she is urging people to increase the conversation around drug use, especially opioids.
“We need to all be aware of the signs and symptoms of an overdose. We need to all be aware of how we may be able to encourage those that will be using to prevent an overdose for themselves and we need to ensure we’re getting Naloxone in the hands of those who are using and family and friends of those who are using substances that may or may not contain opioids,” she said.
Naloxone can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Free kits are available at the Porcupine Health Unit offices and pharmacies. You can find a location offering the kits here.
According the the health unit, other ways to reduce risks of an overdose are: not using alone, using small doses, and not mixing substances.
Catton said the health unit has also been working with EMS and other community partners on an Opioid Surveillance and Early Warning System plan, which involves having a more timely way of communicating with each other to assess what’s going on in the community with respect to potential opioid-related incidents.
For the recent suspected opioid deaths, the investigation is ongoing. It’s not known when the post mortems will be.
Anyone with information in relation the occurrence is asked to call 705-264-1201 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Gauthier said they are looking for information on the last-known movements of the two people, or information that may have been relayed between the victims and people in the community.
While the names of the victims haven’t been released yet, Gauthier said there are people who probably already know and have information that might be relevant.
