Home / Health / Sudbury Overdose Calls Skyrocket 97% in January
Sudbury Overdose Calls Skyrocket 97% in January
26 Feb
Summary
- Paramedic calls for suspected drug overdoses nearly doubled in January.
- Eighteen deaths from suspected drug overdose reported last month.
- New drug supply includes potent medetomidine, increasing risks.
Greater Sudbury is grappling with a significant increase in suspected drug overdoses, with paramedic calls nearly doubling in January 2026 compared to the same month in 2025. Public Health Sudbury and Districts reported 60 calls for suspected opioid-related overdoses last month, a sharp rise from 36 calls in January 2025.
This surge is accompanied by a tragic increase in fatalities, with 18 suspected drug overdose deaths occurring in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts in January 2026, up from 11 in the prior year. The region's mortality rate from drug toxicity remains substantially higher than the provincial average.
Health officials attribute the escalating crisis to a more toxic and unpredictable drug supply, now including powerful substances like medetomidine, a veterinary tranquilizer over 100 times more potent than xylazine. This drug, often found in fentanyl alongside other depressants, poses extreme risks.
Harsher winter conditions may also contribute, encouraging indoor and solitary drug use. Frontline workers highlight the urgent need for harm reduction services, advocating for the re-opening of a supervised consumption site to help individuals understand and mitigate the risks associated with the dangerous local drug supply.
