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Health unit issues drug alert: Opioid poisoning on the rise in Simcoe–Muskoka

January 3, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has issued a drug alert to warn residents of an increase in drug overdoses in the region.

The alert specifically refers to opioids.

Opioids are drugs used to help manage pain for everything from a broken bone to long-term illness. Doctors may prescribe them for short-term or chronic pain.

Opioids slow down the brain, especially the part that controls breathing.

If someone takes too much of a drug 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 is happening in communities across Simcoe Muskoka.

Naloxone is a medicine that can reverse opioid poisoning. It helps restore normal breathing temporarily and gives someone more time until help arrives.

Opioid poisoning doesn’t just happen to people who take too large a dose – it can happen in everyday situations.

Key risk factors include using more than usual, combining opioids with alcohol or other substances, inconsistent or unknown drug quality, using drugs after a period of time without using, and using alone.

Many people have been affected by opioid use. It is sometimes prescribed, and other times it is not.

One danger is the unregulated illegal drug supply in local communities. Street drugs can contain dangerous amounts of fentanyl or other substances, making opioid poisonings more likely.

There are five steps in responding to an opioid overdose:

• Step 1 – Shout their name and shake their shoulders.
• Step 2 – Call 911 if unresponsive.
• Step 3 – Give Naloxone: one spray in the nostril or one ampule into an arm or leg.
• Step 4 – Provide rescue breaths and/or chest compressions if trained.
• Step 5 – If no improvement after two or three minutes, repeat steps three and four, and stay with the person.

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdoses Act provides some legal protection for people who call 911 or need emergency help during an overdose.

The Act can protect you from charges for possession of a controlled substance (drugs) and breaches of certain legal conditions.

The Act does not provide legal protection against more serious offences, such as outstanding warrants or the production and trafficking of drugs. 

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