Ottawa paramedics respond to more than 30 suspected overdoses this weekend

Ottawa police and Ottawa paraemdics are sounding the alarm about drug overdoses in the city.

In a tweet, police said officers responded to 19 suspected overdoses on Saturday and another three Sunday morning.

"In many of these cases, several doses of Narcan were administered by police, passersby and emergency responders to revive people," police said.

Ottawa Paramedic Service spokesperson Marc-Antoine Deschamps told CTV News Ottawa on Monday that paramedics responded to more than 30 incidents over the weekend, 20 of which required hospitalization. He could not confirm whether anyone died.

"These overdoses are spread throughout the city. They're not only a matter of downtown Ottawa. We see them across neighbourhoods, across economic groups; it's not only a matter of people suffering from addiction who are injecting drugs in a dark alley. It can happen anywhere," he said. 

"I think it's important for everybody to be able to recognize the signs of an overdose. It's mainly someone who is unconscious and cannot be woken up. If you're faced with a situation, call 9-1-1 immediately. Our ambulance communications officer will be sending help your way and they'll be able to guide you through a patient assessment, which includes CPR, it also includes defibrillation and the use of naloxone, if required."

• Get help with substance use | contact information for overdose prevention services

Health agencies have been warning about drug overdoses in the region this summer. Ottawa Public Health data showed emergency room visits in May due to opioid overdoses reached a level not seen since July 2020, including a year-over-year jump from 88 hospital visits in May 2022 to 117 in 2023.

Last July, five people died of suspected overdoses in one week.

Last month, the federal government announced $1.9 million in funding for Pathways to Recovery's Safer Supply Ottawa Program through Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program, to help provide a safe supply of drugs for users to help lower the risk of overdose from toxic supply on the street.

Advocates encourage residents to carry naloxone kits with them and learn how to administer if witnessing an overdose. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act also provides some legal protection for people who call 9-1-1 to get help for an overdose. Frontline Ottawa police officers have been given naloxone since August 2022, and have handed out several dozen kits to residents, according to a police news release in April. Police say there are plans to expand the availability of naloxone among members of the force, including neighbourhood resource officers.