General News
Health Unit issues drug after increase in related deaths
April 29, 2026 · 0 Comments
By Brian Lockhart
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has issued an emergency drug alert regarding unregulated substances in the region.
The Health Unit is tracking an increasing trend of suspected drug poisoning deaths and drug-related emergency department visits over the past three weeks.
A current street supply of unregulated substances could be deadly.
Details on the substance are not available, but it is believed to be a form of fentanyl that is mixed with ‘Tranq’ and/or ‘Benzos.’
Toronto Drug Checking Services is reporting new opioids and fentanyl analogues in the supply.
This supply of drugs is believed to have resulted in the increasing trend of deaths and overdoses.
Opioids are drugs used to help manage pain, from a broken bone to long-term illness. Doctors may prescribe them for short-term or chronic pain.
Opioids are drugs that also slow down the brain, especially the part that controls breathing.
If someone takes too much or mixes opioids with other substances, their breathing can stop. Without help, this can lead to death.
This kind of emergency is called opioid poisoning, and it’s happening in communities across Simcoe Muskoka.
The first line of defence to avoid an overdose is not to use unregulated substances.
If you do use unregulated substances, you should carry and know how to use Naloxone.
Naloxone can reverse opioid poisoning temporarily. It helps restore normal breathing for a short period of time and gives someone more time until help arrives.
To help with the issue, residents should be aware of the signs of drug poisoning. This includes a person who can’t be woken and has slow or stopped breathing. The person may be making snoring or gurgling sounds, may be limp, and the fingernails and lips may have turned blue, purple, or grey.
They may also have tiny pupils or their eyes rolled back.
If you are with someone who appears to have overdosed, call 9-1-1.
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