Peterborough Public Health Launches New Opioid Harms Data Portal And Drug Reporting Tool

Peterborough Public Health (PPH), with support of its partners, has launched a new Opioid Harms Data Portal and Drug Reporting Tool, both available on the PPH Website, as part of the broader response to the drug poisoning crisis facing Peterborough.

File Photo.

“Our community has experienced 17 deaths so far this year,” said Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health. “The loss of our community members is tragic and has a broader rippling effects on people who use drugs, their family members, and the community. This work is one piece of the whole response that Peterborough Public Health is supporting in an effort to address the drug poisoning crisis.”

The Opioid Harms Data Portal is a public facing interactive tool that allows residents to stay up to date on drug-related harms in the community. Updated monthly, the portal includes local data on:

· 911 Calls

· Emergency Department Visits

· Deaths

Additional data and information will be added as available.

The Drug Reporting Tool is an online survey where residents can anonymously report drug poisonings and other bad drug reactions. Any information shared through the tool supports Peterborough Public Health and community partners in responding to and preventing drug poisonings in the Peterborough region.

“These tools are the result of a two-year consultation with partner agencies and evaluation on the opioid early warning and surveillance system (EWSS)” said Jocelyn Qualtrough, a Health Promoter on the Family and Community Health team. “The drug poisoning crisis impacts local lives daily. The Opioid Harms Data Portal and the Drug Reporting Tool will create opportunities for the broader community to grow their understanding and compassion for people who use drugs, who are recovering, who have lasting complications from drug use and poisoning, and who have been lost to drug poisoning.”

These tools are intended to give insights to the community and service providers about what is happening, who is affected, and how trends are changing in the community. The Opioid Harms Data Portal will now be the central location for accessing local opioid harms data.

In an online press conference on Thursday, Dr Piggott noted that there have been 17 drug poisonings in Peterborough in 2022 to date.

Residents can access the Opioid Harms Data Portal and The Drug Reporting Tool via the Peterborough Public Health Website by searching for “Opioid”, or by clicking on the corresponding links.

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