Sudbury Public Health Warns of Rise in Complex Drug Poisonings and Unexpected Reactions

SUDBURY, Ont. — Public Health Sudbury & Districts has issued a drug warning after what it says were five days of rising drug poisonings and unexpected reactions in Sudbury and districts, including cases involving substances that do not respond to naloxone.

The warning matters beyond Sudbury because Northern Ontario communities often face longer emergency response times, harsh weather and greater isolation — factors that can make a poisoning more dangerous when help is delayed.

Warning follows five days of more complex poisonings

The health unit said Wednesday, March 18, that the cause of the increase is unknown. It warned that street drugs may be cut or mixed with benzodiazepines, xylazine, medetomidine, fentanyl or carfentanil.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts also said heavy snow and poor road conditions can leave people isolated and delay emergency response, adding urgency to its advice not to use drugs alone.

Why naloxone may not fully reverse what responders are seeing

Public health officials said some recent poisonings have involved substances that do not respond to naloxone. Health Canada says naloxone temporarily reverses the effects of opioids, but it does not counteract non-opioid drugs such as benzodiazepines or xylazine.

Even so, naloxone should still be given in a suspected poisoning because those substances are often mixed with opioids, and naloxone will not harm someone if opioids are not involved.

How to lower the risk of poisoning

Public Health Sudbury & Districts is urging people to carry a naloxone kit, avoid mixing drugs with alcohol or other substances, start with a lower dose and go slow, and avoid using alone.

The agency says free naloxone kits are available through The Point, Réseau ACCESS Network, and by asking a local hospital or pharmacy. It also recommends having a trusted person nearby or using the National Overdose Response Service, a confidential, non-judgmental virtual monitoring service available across Canada 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-888-688-6677.

What to do if someone is sedated or struggling to breathe

The health unit says anyone witnessing a poisoning should call 911, stay with the person and monitor their breathing until help arrives. Naloxone should be given right away, and if the person is unconscious they should be placed in the recovery position. Because Sudbury public health is concerned about benzodiazepines and tranquilizers such as xylazine and medetomidine, it also advises moving a sedated person to a safe place, ideally warm and dry, making sure their limbs are not restricted, and giving rescue breaths if they are having trouble breathing or stop breathing.

Symptoms may not look the way people expect

Public Health Sudbury & Districts says poisonings linked to the unpredictable street-drug supply may not show the usual symptoms. Signs of an opioid poisoning can include bluish, purple or greyish skin, lips or nails, dizziness, confusion, an inability to stay awake, choking, gurgling or snoring sounds, and slow, weak or absent breathing. Poisoning involving benzodiazepines may last for hours and can include extreme sleepiness, passing out, poor balance, slurred speech, blackouts and memory loss.

Why the warning resonates across Northern Ontario

While this alert is specific to Sudbury and districts, the broader northern trend is serious. Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ surveillance pages show suspected drug-toxicity death rates in Sudbury and districts and in Northern Ontario have been much higher than Ontario overall in every year shown, and emergency department visit rates for confirmed opioid poisonings have also been well above the provincial rate. That does not make this a Thunder Bay alert, but it does underline why harm-reduction messaging in one northern region often matters across the North, including Northwestern Ontario.