Grey County Paramedics saw a massive decrease in opioid overdoses and deaths last year compared to 2024.
Director of Paramedic Services Kevin McNab says in 2025, emergency services responded to 72 suspected opioid overdoses, this is compared to 184 the year prior, a 61 per cent reduction.
Deaths also declined by 72 per cent from 18 in 2024 to five in 2025.
McNab contributes the decline to the work from several partners across the region.
“Working with our partners, our healthcare partners and social services and charitable organizations, housing, social services, working together to work with the individuals that are suffering from overdoses and build trust and work with them as far as harm reduction as well as treat them with addictions medicine that prevents overdose,” says McNab.
He acknowledges there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to further combat opioid overdoses and deaths in the region.
“I think what we have been doing and with the partners all working together is bringing healthcare to people that need it. We are actually going to them and building trust, building relationships and then able to discuss with them the goals of care and have them, based upon what their goals are, and eventually get to a point where they accept treatment as far as into a treatment facility,” says McNab.
He adds paramedics, over the last couple of years, have been making use of a drug which prevents overdose and curbs cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Now in 2026, McNab says opioid overdoses and deaths remain consistent with 2025.
“The thing with fentanyl is that the drug is so deadly and it seems like each week, each month goes by, there is some new drug that is found in the fentanyl that makes it even more lethal,” says McNab.
He says lately, paramedics have been finding drugs are being mixed with an animal tranquilizer.
“We continue to have to be working to stay ahead in the crisis,” says McNab. “These drugs, it really just enhances or makes the sedation worse, also further decreases breathing, causing further injury or harm.”
Overall, he feels the numbers are moving in the right direction.
“It has been a long time since we have seen a decrease in the number of opioid poisonings and death, not just here, but across the province, so that is very positive,” says McNab.