The province is investing some money into the area to support opioid response initiatives. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is getting $250,000 to better keep track of opioid overdoses and to widen naloxone distribution.
However, the health unit says it hasn’t been told when or how that money will be provided.
The rate of opioid overdoses in the area is higher than the provincial average, according to the health unit. The most up-to-date numbers are from 2015, when there were 43 opioid deaths in Simcoe and Muskoka. The health unit says those numbers have been on the rise over the last decade, with men aged 25 to 44-years-old as the most impacted.
The health unit has been hosting meetings with health professionals in the area, to begin planning an overdose and addiction prevention strategy. A public report on the plan is expected to be released by the end of the year.
Previous story:
Health officials come together to address rising numbers in opioid overdoses in Simcoe Muskoka