News Release: WECOSS 2025 Annual Report Highlights Community Action to Reduce Substance Harms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 14, 2026 | 10 a.m. | Windsor-Essex County
The Windsor-Essex Community Substance Strategy (WECOSS) has released its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting coordinated efforts across Windsor-Essex County to address substance use through prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and community safety. Developed with public health, service providers, first responders, and people with lived and living experience, the report also marks the completion of a renewed local drug strategy that will guide the 2026–2030 Action Plan.
In 2025, partners used data and evidence to respond to emerging trends, strengthen early warning efforts, and improve connections to care. Prevention efforts reached youth and families through workshops and community events and anti-stigma initiatives expanded significantly, with new tools, training, and an outreach program that reached more than 42,000 people. Direct services for people who use drugs remained substantial, with nearly 34,000 interactions related to safer consumption and nearly 5,000 naloxone kits provided to over 2,100 people trained.
Efforts to improve treatment access included training frontline service providers in new therapies to increase confidence in supporting individuals with opioid use disorder. Access to treatment services was further supported through WEC Connect (an online inventory of service providers), which added 24 new listings generating nearly 4,800 visits.
“This year’s Annual Report shows what is possible when we work together to prevent harm and connect people to care,” said Eric Nadalin, Director of Public Health Programs at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and WECOSS Steering Committee Co-Chair. “Building on this momentum, our renewed strategy provides clear direction for the 2026–2030 Action Plan which will prevent substance use amongst young people, reduce harm, and remove barriers for those seeking help across the region.”