Surge in opioid-related overdoses raises concern in Brantford-Brant

The Brantford-Brant area is seeing an increase in overdoses and deaths this month.

CHCH News spoke to a mother who lost her daughter to the opioid crisis in September.

Krista Cabral wears her daughters’ ashes in a heart-shaped pendant around her neck.

At just 33, Brittany Silvestre died of a drug overdose in a Brantford apartment, leaving behind a baby girl.

“Brittany loved to laugh she had a really good sense of humour, she loved music, she loved her daughter,” said Cabral.

When Silvestre overdosed, a friend doused her with cold water and revived her with two doses of naloxone, a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of opioids.

Brantford police arrived at the scene responding to a noise complaint. Officers asked Silvestre if she wanted medical help but she refused.

“The police left, and no one heard from Brittany all day,” said Cabral.

A few hours later, a downstairs neighbour found her face down in her bed, very stiff. Since then, Cabral has been spreading awareness about the limitations of naloxone.

“My daughter thought she would be ok and naloxone did not save her, and it won’t save you,” said Cabral.

Silvestre is one of many people who have died from drug overdoses in Brantford-Brant this year. It’s an issue that experts say the district has been grappling with for a long time.

The district is reporting a spike in overdoses in November.

Between Nov. 1 and Nov. 27, the local health unit recorded 27 suspected drug poisonings. While the exact cause hasn’t been identified, the unit suspects fentanyl and benzodiazepines, as well as a contaminated drug supply.

But they’re taking steps to address the problem, by promoting online safer consumption services like the Brave app, which connects people with remote supervision online. As well as the National Overdose Response Service.

Todd Gould at the Grand River Community Health Centre says naloxone is a first step, that should be followed by emergency services. It can be a short-term intervention, but not a solution. Like all medications, it has a half-life, and expires over time. It also may not work on benzodiazepines.

He adds that addressing the overdose crisis is extremely complex, and requires collaboration from all levels of government, as well as local boards and associations.