WELLINGTON COUNTY: Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) is reminding residents to continue supporting the campaign against the drug toxicity crisis despite changing times.
A letter was prepared by associate medical officer of health, Dr. Matthew Tenenbaum, to recognize those affected by the drug toxicity crisis.
Accompanied by the colour purple, August 31 is Drug Poisoning Awareness Day and is a remembrance of those who have been lost to the crisis and to stand with the families, friends and communities who are grieving.
“It is also a time to recognize the difficult realities faced by people who use drugs and the families, friends and communities around them,” Tenenbaum said in his letter.
According to WDGPH, 28 people have died in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) area due to suspected drug poisonings in 2026, compared to 38 in 2025.
“There are some encouraging signs that opioid-related deaths may have declined since the worst days of this crisis. If that trend continues, it would be very welcome,” Tenenbaum said, “but deaths are only one measure of the impact of substance use. People continue to experience non-fatal poisonings, injuries, infections, mental illness, housing instability and other harms that can profoundly affect their lives and the lives of those around them.”
Tenenbaum said while there is no single solution to the drug toxicity crisis the community’s commitment must continue and must be compassionate, creative and collaborative.
“We need immediate harm reduction, supports that address broader social and health factors that affect people’s lives and well-being, and accessible treatment and recovery services,” he said.
WDGPH will be hosting a Board of Health meeting on Sept. 2, 2026, and their agenda includes the 2025 Opioid Surveillance Update, prepared by health promotion specialist Jacob MacKinlay, manager of data and analytics Michael Whyte and manager of health promotion, Kylie Alderson.
The update said emergency department (ED) visit rates decreased province-wide and within WDG, but ultimately WDG’s rate is below the Ontario average.
Capturing data since 2008, Wellington County ED visit rates in 2025 have declined by 3.5 per cent compared to 2024, with 24.5 visits per 100,000 residents and 25.4 per 100,000 respectively.
However, WDGPH said the ED data should be “interpreted with care,” as the it does not capture all opioid-related poisonings in the community.
Opioid-related deaths have also decreased, recording the lowest mortality rate since 2015.
The report said the opioid-related mortality rate decreased by 57 per cent in the region between 2024 and 2025 with 3.8 deaths per 100,000 residents last year; Ontario’s rate decreased by 38 per cent with a 2025 rate of 8.7 deaths per 100,000.
For the second year in a row Wellington County has recorded three opioid-related deaths.
Despite its share decreasing to 62 per cent, WDGPH said fentanyl is involved in the majority of deaths in the area, but is below the provincial average.
Though WDGPH said these findings should be taken with caution and with context in-mind.
The mortality rate has ultimately decreased however specific communities, such as Guelph, are still seeing a need for targeted supports.
Tenenbaum’s letter addressed changes in the drug crisis.
The 2025 Opioid Surveillance Update also mentions some “emerging risks”; sedatives and tranquilizers.
“Cocaine was the most commonly identified non-opioid substance, present in 58.3 percent of opioid-related deaths (2025), up from 40 percent in 2024,” the report said.
Benzodiazepine and methamphetamine involvement has declined in 2025 compared to the previous year and ethanol was not detected in any local opioid-related deaths in 2025 compared with 10 percent in 2024.
“Together, these changes point to the continued instability of the unregulated drug supply rather than a consistent trend involving any single substance,” the report said.
“Small local numbers can produce large percentage changes, and the continued evolution of the unregulated drug supply highlights the need for ongoing vigilance.”
