Algoma Public Health says opioid-related deaths are higher in the Algoma District compared with the rest of the province.
According to data released from Public Health Ontario, in 2016, one in six Algoma residents was prescribed an opioid, compared to one in seven in Ontario
The information was released to the district board of health last week with the report also revealing they have also seen higher rates especially in young and working-age men.
To address the situation, they plan to increase the availability of naloxone (also known as Narcan), which is used as an injection or nasal spray to block the effects of overdose in a user.
More community agencies will also be distributing naloxone kits in addition to local pharmacies, which already do.