Ottawa police are sounding the alarm about drug overdoses in the city.
In a tweet, police said officers responded to 19 suspected overdoses on Saturday and another three Sunday morning.
"In many of these cases, several doses of Narcan were administered by police, passersby and emergency responders to revive people," police said.
Ottawa paramedics could not immediately confirm how many of these individuals required hospitalization.
Health agencies have been warning about drug overdoses in the region this summer. Ottawa Public Health data showed emergency room visits in May due to opioid overdoses reached a level not seen since July 2020, including a year-over-year jump from 88 hospital visits in May 2022 to 117 in 2023.
Last July, five people died of suspected overdoses in one week.
Last month, the federal government announced $1.9 million in funding for Pathways to Recovery's Safer Supply Ottawa Program through Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program, to help provide a safe supply of drugs for users to help lower the risk of overdose from toxic supply on the street.
Advocates encourage residents to carry naloxone kits with them and learn how to administer if witnessing an overdose. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act also provides some legal protection for people who call 9-1-1 to get help for an overdose.
Ottawa police respond to more than 20 suspected overdoses this weekend - CTV News Ottawa
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