Opioid overdose related EMS calls were down in Lambton in February.
In its latest Opioid Surveillance Bulletin, Lambton Public Health said there were 20 related calls to Lambton EMS, down from 26 in January.
The health unit said there were 33 opioid overdose related deaths between January and November 2023, although those numbers are still considered preliminary.
The death toll for the first 11 months of the year surpassed the total number of opioid related deaths in 2022, when there was 32 deaths recorded.
In February, the health unit issued an alert due to a spike in fatal overdoses.
The local rate of opioid overdose deaths is well above the provincial average of 15.07 at 53.6 per 100,000 population.
Drug users are reminded that free naloxone kits are available at Lambton Public Health and at local pharmacies.
The health unit is also reminding users the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects you from simple possession charges, in the event you have to report an overdose or call 911.