Lambton OPP says drug trafficking and the use of opioids are very much county-wide issues, and some may not even be aware they're ingesting a deadly substance.
OPP issued a reminder over social media this week to advise residents of the continued response to opioid use and trafficking.
In an exclusive interview with Sarnia News Today, Media Relations Officer Cst. Jamie Bydeley said illegal substances are typically trafficked to the area from outlying major cities.
"It's a distribution network... our officers are very well aware of that," he said. "So we'll see the bigger shipments go to the bigger cities and then web out from there."
Bydeley stressed the dangers of opioids and said fentanyl is most often the "killer" substance identified.
He also said there have been instances where drugs were sent away for testing that initially weren't identified as an opioid.
"We have seen other drugs come back, testing positive for fentanyl. So people may be ingesting other drugs thinking that they're safe but inadvertently they're actually ingesting opioids which are again, very dangerous," he said.
There may also be instances where a person ingests an opioid without having a strong enough tolerance to the powerful substance.
Bydeley said there are resources available through public health agencies for those who struggle with addiction.
People are also reminded to not use drugs alone. Bydeley also reminded residents of the importance of the Good Samaritan Act, which covers those in need of emergency assistance due to overdose.
"We as first responders want to come and help and so people need to not be concerned and worried about the fact that maybe there is drug paraphernalia in and around the house or in the room that the person is in," he said. "People can rest assured to call 911 if they see a family member or friend overdosing and not have to worry about being charged if there's some drugs lying around or whatnot. Will the drugs be seized? Likely, for the safety of everybody and to be tested by our officers but we don't need to fear being charged with those types of things in our homes."
Meanwhile, the opioid crisis is taking an emotional toll on community members.
During a separate event to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women on February 14, Sarnia-Lambton Native Friendship Centre Executive Director Donna Smith-Sutherland delivered a moving speech that touched on the topic.
"One of the things happening right now in our communities is we're losing our young people in big numbers," said Smith-Sutherland. "In just the last two weeks, we've lost a significant amount of our people locally."
Lambton Public Health (LPH) couldn't confirm to Sarnia News Today any suspected opioid-related fatalities beyond what was indicated in their alert issued on February 2. LPH previously issued an advisory regarding suspected opioid toxicity following an increase in suspected opioid-related overdoses and deaths.
LPH also noted an increase in the number of overdose-related calls to Lambton EMS in a recent bulletin.
As police agencies work to combat the local drug issue, anyone with tips regarding traffickers is encouraged to contact Lambton OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Sarnia-Lambton Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through its website.
-With files from Stephanie Chaves