A community drug alert has been extended in Waterloo Region after four more people died from suspected drug overdoses in the area.
The Overdose Monitoring Alert and Response System (OMARS) first issued an alert on May 28 after 35 overdoses occurred between May 23 and May 26.
Since then, four more people have died and 50 overdoses have been reported in the region.
“The unregulated supply of the drug is unpredictable and unexpected reactions may occur, including a current trend toward severe sedation,” the alert states. “Overdose/poisoning may require multiple doses of naloxone.”
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The Consumer and Treatment Services (CTS) site in Kitchener has a drug screening program, and OMARS said fentanyl samples showed the drug was mixed with fentanyl analogs, benzodiazepines (including bromozolam and alprazolam), and xylazine.
Colors of concern include red, red-orange, red-pink, green and gray.
The agency noted that “while it is not known whether there is a link between the identified substances and the reported overdoses/poisonings, detailed information about these substances is provided for informational purposes only.”
On May 15, the government also sounded the alarm after three people died from drug overdoses within three days.
As of Sunday, 34 people have died in the area from suspected drug overdoses, according to WRIDS. In 2023, 65 people have died in the area.
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