The Eastern Ontario Health Unit and Cornwall Police Service are warning residents about a rise in drug-related poisonings in Cornwall linked to a toxic substance called pink fentanyl.
Community partners notified the health unit that the substance, found in the unregulated drug supply, may be causing severe overdoses. Its exact composition is unknown.
Officials are urging people who use drugs to avoid using alone, call the National Overdose Response Service at 1-888-688-6677 if they must use alone, get a free naloxone kit, and call 911 immediately if someone shows signs of opioid poisoning.
The warning comes as Ontario grapples with an ongoing opioid crisis. In 2024, 2,263 Ontarians died from opioid-related causes, including 18 deaths in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit region. In 2025, Canada saw 5,630 apparent opioid toxicity deaths, with 78% occurring in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
Cornwall has seen sharp increases in opioid-related emergencies in recent years. Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services responded to 143 opioid poisoning calls in 2022, up 170% from 53 calls in 2020. Cornwall Community Hospital reported an 86% increase in opioid poisoning cases in the 2021-22 fiscal year.
The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides some legal protection for people who seek emergency help during a poisoning. Anyone who witnesses an overdose should call 911 immediately.
