News Release
February 27, 2020
Statement from Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, regarding recent overdoses
Yesterday, we experienced a rapid increase in overdoses in our supervised consumption service located inside The Works. We believe this to be related to a tainted local drug supply. Our staff immediately alerted Toronto Paramedic Services to help ensure the health and safety of our clients and the broader community.
Our staff acted on this information and immediately shared information with the broader harm reduction community. Extra staff came in to help out and we extended our service hours until 11 p.m. last night. To further assist in this time-sensitive matter, there was also an increased paramedic services presence in front of TPH. We have obtained a sample for drug checking that we have sent to the laboratory at St. Michael’s Hospital to understand further details. When we receive this information, we will be able to issue more clear alerts to the local harm reduction community regarding which substances should be avoided.
Drug overdose is a significant public health issue with devastating impacts for many. The events that unfolded yesterday clearly demonstrate the need for supervised consumption services in our community and the life-saving benefit they provide. As always, our top priority is to ensure the health and safety of our staff, clients and the broader community.
Thank you to the staff who responded to this matter in a timely way in collaboration with our local police, paramedic and fire services teams.
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit http://www.toronto.ca or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/CityofToronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.