Opioid-related hospital visits spike in the Sault

Opioid surveillance in the Algoma District shows that the recent number of hospital visits is up and public health officials say people should be aware.

Hilary Cutler of Algoma Public Health said sudden increases are always concerning.

“What we do want people who use substances to know is there has been an increase in harms,” Cutler said.

The opioid crisis is nothing new for Sault police, where officials said officers are working to get the most dangerous substances off the street.

“In 2022 to date, officers have seized approximately $566,000, street value, of opioids alone," said police spokesperson Lincoln Louttit

"The vast majority of that is fentanyl -- obviously there’s a lot of fentanyl in this community, and unfortunately it is causing a major (problem) for our public health system.”

The latest alert is more startling considering the deadly nature of fentanyl, which is the most common opioid seized by Sault police.

“Fentanyl can kill you," Louttit said.

"So when you see that 400 grams of fentanyl was seized, that’s potentially 4,000 deaths that that could be saved by seizing that.”

Cutler hopes people who hear about the alert will view it from a place of compassion.

“It is about suffering in our community, and from a stigma perspective, we want people to understand that there’s lots that could be put in place to help people with substance use,” she said.

Members of the public are urged to call 911 if someone is experiencing opioid poisoning.