The opioid crisis is not just a problem in other parts of Canada, the Windsor Essex County Health Unit has released a disturbing report about the stats locally.
It says the number of local deaths from the drugs are nearly two times that of the provincial rate.
A health unit document shows the number of deaths from opioid use increased nearly 190 per cent over an eight-year span.
The report shows 382 opioid-related visits to local emergency departments and 43 of those patients died.
Men from 20 to 44 years old made up nearly half of the patients.
The report also says opioids were given to nearly 28,000 people in Windsor-Essex through the Ontario drug benefit in 2015.
Windsor police are working to educate the public on the risks of opioids, particularly fentanyl.
“What we're trying to do here, is be in front, put the horse in front of the cart if you will, and making sure the public knows the is an extremely dangerous drug that can instantly kill you," says Sgt. Steve Betteridge.
