Monday marks International Overdose Awareness Day

An organizer displays a naloxone kit that people can pick up for free as International Overdose Awareness Day training seminar takes place at Centennial Square in Victoria, B.C., on Saturday August 31, 2019. Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of an overdose from opioids such as heroin, methadone, fentanyl and morphine. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Monday, Aug. 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day. It is also the 25th year of the campaign.

Windsor-Essex Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, says there has been progress on the front, but the region is still hard hit by the issue.

In 2025, Windsor-Essex had the highest rate of opioid-related deaths, 56, among Ontario’s 10 biggest cities.

Aloosh says it’s encouraging, but early numbers this year show emergency department visits are on the rise.

He added stigma can also keep people from looking for help and reminds people that overdoses can affect anyone.

This year’s theme is “25 years on, still needed.”