As fentanyl continues to claim lives in Windsor-Essex, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the creation of a Fentanyl Czar — a federal position aimed at addressing concerns from U.S. President Donald Trump about the drug crossing the border into the United States.
But local advocates on the front lines of the opioid crisis say the solution won’t come from a single job title.
Nearly five years ago, Kathy Moreland lost her 18-year-old son Austin to fentanyl poisoning.
She said he had been sober for about a month when he died, relapsing while celebrating his graduation.
“He had really tried hard to stay away from it,” Moreland said. “But he said, ‘Mom, it’s like if you tasted the best food you’ve ever tasted in your life and felt the best you’ve ever felt in your life, and then someone tells you you can’t have it again.’”
Moreland, who is president of the Windsor-Essex chapter of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, has spent the years since advocating for harm reduction and addiction services.
She said that while any political focus on the issue is helpful, a fentanyl czar won’t be a silver bullet.
“Politicians always seem to search for a simple answer, so they look like they’re doing something about it,” she said. “It’d be interesting to see what the job description is like. What are they going to do?”
She added that even when families want help, the system is difficult to navigate.
“No parent should have to lose their child,” she said. “But people don’t understand how difficult it is to get treatment.”
Fentanyl seizures increasing in Windsor
According to Windsor Police, fentanyl seizures have been steadily increasing over the past three years:
-2022: 1,365 grams seized
-2023: 2,981 grams seized
-2024: 3,042 grams seized
Windsor law students take action
At the University of Windsor, law students Emily Kydd and Meg Gregoire have been working to address the crisis on campus.
The two co-founded the Harm Reduction Project, a student-run initiative that provides education and advocacy on drug policy and addiction.
“It’s a student club for all intents and purposes,” Kydd said. “Something that would surprise people in Windsor, Essex, is not only the amount of folks who are visiting the ER because of opioid related overdoses but also the amount of people that we’ve lost.”
The group has organized naloxone training sessions, hosted guest speakers and worked with community organizations.
Gregoire said the initiative has taught her that harm reduction goes beyond just urgent needs.
“I’ve definitely learned that harm reduction is not just about the immediate needs of folks,” she said. “It’s about care along a spectrum of needs. So really paying attention to what people are saying would be helpful to them and listening to their voices instead of imposing outside ideas on them.”
On Wednesday, the group will host a screening of the documentary Love in the Time of Fentanyl to help raise awareness of the crisis.
“We need programming that sees and recognizes individuals as full beings,” Gregoire said. “And I think it’s really important that we have spaces and community programs that are low barrier.”
Will a fentanyl czar help?
As the fentanyl crisis continues to impact Windsor-Essex, those working on the front lines say real solutions will require more than just a new government position.
“I’ve talked to many people who are struggling with substance use who’ve said, ‘You got to know how addictive it is. If I know that every time I try it, I could die,’” Moreland said.
While she acknowledges that political attention on the issue is important, she remains skeptical about what a fentanyl czar will accomplish.
“I think it’s one part of the solution, but not the solution,” she said.
