Spike in overdose deaths in Sarnia Lambton prompts alert

A recent spike in overdose deaths in Sarnia Lambton has prompted an alert from Ontario’s Chief Coroner.

In the week from June 27 to July 3 there were four drug related deaths in the coverage area.

It’s something Ghost, a 49 year old homeless man who dropped into the Inn of the Good Shepherd for lunch on Wednesday can relate to.

"I didn’t even know I was gone," he said, referring to the first time he used carfentanyl and overdosed. "So there was no pain, there was no warning, no anything. Then all of a sudden, it didn’t even feel like I woke up, I snapped out of it and I didn’t even know that I was 'Narcanned' three times."

That was one of two times he had to be brought back from an opioid overdose.

He said he’s not surprised to learn there’s been a spike in overdose deaths recently.

"When you’re living on the street and doing other narcotics, whatnot, just any death becomes personal because you probably were right beside them not days before, or that day or that night."

Four drug related deaths in a week is four times as many as the weekly average for 2021. That’s why those working on the front lines are so concerned about this trend.

"I was shocked to see four deaths in one week, but at the same time we’ve seen a ramp-up in drug use activity," said Myles Vanni, the executive director of the Inn of the Good Shepherd. He believes the rise in drug use is tied to the pandemic.

"Where they couldn’t get on the bus or go to TIm Horton’s or whatever. When that isolation happened, that really I think struck a lot of people in terms of mental illness. And, you know drug use is often considered self-medication to take some of those pains and those issues away."

As for Ghost, he’s trying to face his demons one day at a time, but it’s not easy.

"I had to seek out fentanyl for that pain, but it not only shut off the pain, it also shut off my life."