The Grey Bruce Health Unit is issuing a warning after a death and two overdoses related to a strain of heroin in just the last 24 hours.
Officials say the potentially lethal mix of heroin is being sold on the streets of Grey and Bruce Counties.
A man in Owen Sound died after taking the drug and two others, a man and a woman, were taken to hospital in two separate overdose incidents.
Dr. Christine Kennedy, acting medical officer of health, said in a statement, "We’re asking family and friends who know individuals who use drugs to be proactive and reach out to these people to make them aware of the danger of this particular heroin. We’re very concerned. We don’t want to see anyone else harmed.”
She added, “Additional strategies to reduce risk include taking smaller doses and not being alone when taking drugs.”
Owen Sound police issued a similar warning Monday, but said the drug could be heroin or cocaine or a drug being passed off as one or the other.
Det.-Sgt. Jeff Fluney said in a statement, "While both drugs [heroin and cocaine] are already illegal to possess and dangerous to ingest, we are urging anyone who may be users of these types of drugs or come into possession of them, for your own safety please do not use them."
Police are continuing to investigate the overdoses and trying to positively identify the substance involved.
Public health also has Take Away Naloxone kits (TAN) available for those at risk, which can be used to reverse an opiate overdose.
