Advocates suspect rise in overdoses in Whitehorse linked to new synthetic opioid - APTN News

The University of Waterloo is developing a Synthetic Data Network (SDN) as part of a new cross-Canada consortium with institutions from Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. “Canada’s health-care system produces an immense amount of data with the potential to drive better decisions and better outcomes,” said Dr. Helen Chen from the School of Public Health Sciences. “However, vital privacy requirements can make it difficult to share and use person-level data at scale. This limits collaboration and leaves important opportunities for discovery untapped.”

ChathamBy Paul PedroOctober 14, 2026 - 3:30pmChatham-Kent (CK) Public Health has issued an alert warning the community about an increase in drug overdoses and unexpected reactions to substances in Chatham‑Kent. The health unit reported CK EMS responded to 13 suspected opioid overdose calls between Friday and Tuesday, exceeding the community's usual rate of opioid-related emergency calls. "The alert comes after Windsor-Essex issued two public drug poisoning alerts over the past two weeks," CK Public Health said. "Chatham-Kent has historically seen increases in suspected drug poisonings in the weeks following similar alerts in neighbouring jurisdictions, highlighting the importance of increased community awareness and harm reduction measures at this time. "According to CK public health officials, local partners have noted increased use of naloxone, strong sedation, and concerns about a highly toxic drug supply. "This serves as an important reminder that the unregulated drug supply is unpredictable and always changing. Substances may not be what individuals expect, increasing the risk of harm or death," CK Public Health added.

WindsorThe Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS) says 30 opioid overdoses were reported through emergency department visits between Sept. 27 and Oct. 3. Overdoses were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 3Desmond Brown · CBC News · Posted: Oct 05, 2026 6:22 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 6Listen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. The Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS) says 30 opioid overdoses were reported through emergency department visits between Sept. 27 and Oct. 3. (Eric Baradat/AFP/Getty Images)A high number of opioid overdoses reported last week have prompted a health alert from a community‑based partnership working to prevent and reduce substance‑related harms in Windsor‑Essex. The Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS) says 30 opioid overdoses were reported through emergency department visits between Sept. 27 and Oct. 3. Of those cases, 17 involved fentanyl, according to WECOSS.