Coke and gas fill hospital wards in Ontario

Image copyright Supplied Image caption Officials urge revellers to stay hydrated and take care at the party

Some 340 people are being treated in hospital in Ontario for exposure to carbon monoxide – the highest number since September.

The emergency care system recorded 196 calls on Saturday, including 109 for treatment. The largest number was in Waterloo – where six patients were taken.

Emergency officials in Toronto said the numbers have fallen off, but they are still warning the public to “be careful and take precautions.”

They urge revellers to remain indoors or have alternate plans during events, and to drink plenty of water.

“It was definitely a hot day, so if you had to go out, you had to use caution,” said Dr. Razia Ghai, chief medical officer at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Carbon monoxide can be deadly

Dr Ghai said the small number of deaths it caused over the weekend was attributed to the level of care people were given.

“We were very careful, so fewer deaths and incidents than we would normally have.”

Officials at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s carbon monoxide information website say people can help prevent any possible damage to their bodies from carbon monoxide exposure.

Pets are in high danger, as can people with a condition that can cause them to fall into a coma. People should avoid cooking appliances, fuels, welding equipment and gas-powered vacuum cleaners.

People are also urged to follow local building codes to ensure they have working carbon monoxide detectors, and to stay indoors when carbon monoxide is present.

In Canada, carbon monoxide is one of the leading causes of death among urban youth.

Thirteen-year-old Nepalese refugee Parameswaran Chandraneswara died when the carbon monoxide detector in his London home went off in 2012, where he lived with his family.

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