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Though the death toll is an estimate, Shanker Nesathurai, Chatham-Kent's acting medical officer of health, said, "The bottom line is, we can't accept 50 people dying" of substance abuse-related deaths.

The 50 deaths is a dramatic jump from the estimated 30 drug-related deaths that happened on average in Chatham-Kent in both 2022 and 2023, according to health unit data.

The majority of people died of opioid-related deaths last year, Nesathurai said.

Some deaths are attributed to stimulants such as crystal methamphetamine and cocaine and other deaths can be attributed to people having multiple drugs in their system, he said.

Nesathurai said there are a high number of premature deaths, including opioid-related deaths, across the municipality.

"In Chatham-Kent, there are about 300 people who die every year below the age of 65," he said.

While heart disease, strokes, cancer, motor vehicle crashes and suicides all contribute to that number, Nesathurai said, "When you think that about 50 people died of substance abuse-related deaths, almost all of them are young people.

"From a public health point of view, we're very concerned," he said.

The 50 drug-related deaths equates to about one in every 2,000 residents in Chatham-Kent.