A free community forum in Kingsville will address the issue of adolescents and opioids.
Community organizations have come together to open the dialogue for parents, grandparents, guardians and caregivers.
Organizers want to focus on prevention and education, but they will also speak about treatment for opioid abuse.
A report published by the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network suggests more than two people die each day in the province from opioid overdoses.
In fact, the report suggests the rate of opioid-related deaths in Ontario has almost quadrupled over the last 25 years, skyrocketing to 734 in 2015 from 144 in 1991.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit also released a report earlier this year that said opioids were given to nearly 28,000 people locally through the Ontario drug benefit in 2015.
The report also shows 382 opioid-related visits to local emergency departments and 43 of those patients died.
The forum will be held at the Kingsville Community Centre on Division Road on Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
