Emergency responders in London handled 39 overdose-related calls within a single day, police reported on Thursday, following their alert about dangerous drugs being circulated downtown.
The incidents were reported between 8 a. m. on Wednesday and 8 a. m. on Thursday, with authorities stating that several individuals needed medical care, and that a hazardous supply of illegal drugs seems to still be in circulation.
On Wednesday, police mentioned they were searching for an individual who was reportedly driving around the city center and allegedly distributing drugs for free.
In an updated statement on Thursday, police said they received numerous reports and tips and are currently working to verify the information alongside investigators.
“It’s really alarming,” said Lily Bialas, interim director of harm reduction at Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, which operates London’s only supervised consumption site, Carepoint Consumption and Treatment Services.
“We’re obviously concerned for community members and for the safety of people who are using substances in the community,” she stated.
Although Carepoint did not experience any overdoses at their location, Bialas mentioned that they issued a drug advisory to inform the community and their partners once reports were confirmed.
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Paramedics and police respond to a man in distress outside of the London Public Library on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Alessio Donnini / )
“We’re able to spread information out there around the trends really quickly,” she noted.
“We need harm reduction services in order to provide people with timely, accurate information about those trends and education related to things like overdose prevention.”
Bialas shared that people who use drugs can bring their substances for testing on-site with a Scatr machine at Carepoint; test strips are also available.
Authorities urged the public to be mindful of the serious dangers associated with illegal drug use. They advised people to take precautions, avoid using alone, have naloxone accessible, and call 9-1-1 if an overdose is suspected.
The investigation remains active and has been assigned to the LPS Criminal Investigation Division.
They are asking anyone with information or video footage related to this incident that could aid in the investigation to contact London Police Service at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be sent online anonymously to London Middlesex Crime Stoppers.
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