Contaminated drugs spark overdose epidemic in Ottawa in July

.

A batch of contaminated drugs that arrived in Ottawa earlier this month is blamed for dozens of overdoses across the city that overwhelmed outreach workers and first responders and led to at least five deaths.

.

“It’s quite common for us to have little spikes here and there,” says Anne Marie Hopkins, director of operations at Ottawa Inner City Health. “But what we saw during that period was a massive increase in the likes of which we hadn’t seen in a long time.”

The Ottawa Public Health Overdose Prevention Task Force issued a warning on July 5 that paramedics had responded to 22 overdoses and five deaths in the previous week. Hopkins said Inner City Health staff alone treated 134 overdoses in June in and around its 24/7 injection site at Shepherds of Good Hope, nearly double the 70 it reported in May. The last two weeks of June were particularly bad, she said.

“It was really hard for the staff to be in a constant state of surveillance. Watching every corner. Looking at each camera. Making sure you have enough supplies,” she said.

.

“It’s really hard to take care of people outside when they’re overdosing and it’s completely dark and you can’t see what you’re working with. He’s got staff with their headlights on. It’s been a crazy, crazy few weeks.”

Customer service worker Halima Yusuf is one of Inner City Health’s “runners” responding to overdoses. When someone calls about a suspected overdose, Yusuf grabs a medical bag of Narcan, oxygen, and other medical supplies and runs to help.

“It’s overwhelming for them and for us,” said Yusuf, who spoke to this newspaper on Thursday morning moments after responding to an overdose outside Los Pastores.

“It’s a bad batch of drugs. It’s everywhere, whether it’s in crack, fentanyl, or weed. Everything is tied up now and unfortunately our customers are not aware of what they are consuming until they overdose.”

.

The overdose epidemic subsided after July 7, Hopkins said. Only one of the five deaths occurred in the Inner City Health area around Shepherds and ByWard Market. That was a man found dead on the steps of a church. Many of those who overdosed were not users who were normally at risk, she said.

Hopkins said the drugs were probably not mixed with fentanyl on purpose, but the opioid is so powerful that even the smallest amount is enough to contaminate other illicit drugs that are mixed or measured on a table.

“We had some clients tell us they got high when they smoked something that wasn’t fentanyl. But it must have been tied with him. People who smoke stimulants usually don’t have to worry about that, but, with cross-contamination, they are at the same risk as people who smoke fentanyl.“Hopkins said.

.

Bad drugs make the need for a safer drug supply even more apparent, he said. About 50 clients of Ottawa Inner City Health receive prescription opioids such as fentanyl or dilaudid through a pharmacy as part of a Health Canada pilot project. The difference it makes is profound, Hopkins said.

With a secure supply, drug users do not have to resort to petty crime, begging, or other activities to secure their drugs. They need to come to the Inner City Health site to get their supply so healthcare providers automatically see them.

“You have to come here to pick up your medications, so that the health team can see you,” hopkins said. “We’re addressing his mental health, his physical health. Seeing people get on this program and start looking great again, gain some weight and experience all these positive health results is amazing to see.

.

“We have 50 customers with a more secure supply, but we could actually be serving hundreds.”

The fentanyl epidemic, which began in February 2017, has been devastating, he said. The overdose epidemic in early July has made Inner City Health’s job much more difficult.

“We were never meant to be a place that just keeps people alive. We were meant to offer treatment and referrals and mental health care. But when we have these huge spikes like this, all of our resources go into responding to overdoses and keeping people alive.” hopkins said.

“Our customers deserve better than that. You can’t recover if you’re dead.

What to do if you suspect an overdose

For more information on overdose prevention and first aid, a statement from the City of Ottawa (“Suspected overdose-related deaths rise in Ottawa”) contains tips, including knowing the signs of an overdose, calling 911 in an emergency, and carrying naloxone, a medication that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose.

Here are some signs of an opioid overdose:

• Breathing will be slow or absent

• Lips and fingernails are blue

• The person does not move

• The person may be choking

• The person may gurgle or snore

• The person cannot be awakened

• Skin feels cold and clammy

• Pupils are tiny (also known as pinpoint)