Lambton county residents are dying of opioid overdoses at nearly double the rate of the rest of Ontario.

That shocking statistic from a report to Lambton County councillors Wednesday. And local public health officials say the number of drug overdoses is far higher than pre-pandemic times.

Provincial statistics show in 2020, 2,426 people died of a confirmed or suspected opioid-related death in Ontario, a 60 per cent increase over 2019.

In Lambton, public health officials say there was a 48 per cent increase in deaths, from 21 in 2019 to 40 in 2020. That means there were nearly 31 deaths from opioids in Lambton for every 100,000 people in Lambton. Across the province, that number is 16.4 deaths per 100,000.

Public health doesn’t have death statistics yet for 2021 but what Mike Gorgey, Manager, Health Promotion at Lambton Public Health, can say is the rate the number of people accessing care for overdoses at the emergency department is still higher than the rest of the province. Lambton had 38 opioid related visits to the ER for every 100,000 people compared to 30 per 100,000 across the province so far in 2021.

Gorey told county councillors the number of death can be linked to a number of problems caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic including “changes in the unregulated drug supply, lack of access to health care services and community based programs, early release from prisons and increased isolation due to public health measures.”

County councillors voiced concern about the opioid related deaths and asked what could be done now to save lives. Gorgey says public health has been reaching out to as many people as is safely possible during the pandemic and gave out over 1,110 naloxone kits for intervention during an opioid overdose.

As the pandemic eases, Gorgey says public health will be able to do more.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley says another important piece to easing addiction in the community is a permanent withdrawal management program. A permanent centre has been in the works for years and the province did provide money for a temporary program which has been helping as many people as possible. Bradley says that’s good, but not enough.

“We need to get the permanent funding for addiction treatment facility,” he told councillors, adding if in September the government has yet to approve the facility he’ll be asking the county to “really ratchet up” the pressure on the government.

“That’s the big thing, to get permanent funding for a permanent facility.”