Similar to other communities across North America, Windsor and Essex County has recently experienced a surge in opioid-related deaths and hospitalizations.
Recognizing this urgent health issue, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit mobilized a local group of community partners to address opioid-related harms.
The Windsor-Essex Community Opioid Strategy Leadership Committee oversaw the development of an action plan which integrated existing provincial, national, and international best practices with input from Windsor and Essex County residents, including people with lived experience using substances, their family members, and loved ones.
The plan itself consists of eight broad strategies across the four pillars of substance use prevention. Working groups were established to action these strategies and representation for each group consists of key community stakeholders and people with lived experience using substances.
