The OPP are reporting a 36 percent increase in overdose-related deaths last year.
The latest report shows that between September 2017 and the end of 2019 officers saved 177 lives by administering naloxone, a substance that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
In 2019, officers also laid 102 charges in 12 overdose-related death investigations, a 500 percent increase over 2018.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique says the police "...will continue to pursue those who are knowingly trafficking harmful opioids, such as fentanyl, and hold them responsible for their actions."
He also notes one person in Ontario dies from opioids every 4.7 hours.