Updated national data and modelling shared by the Public Health Agency of Canada yesterday showed the opioid crisis could claim up to 2,000 lives every three months up to June 2022.
Released by the special advisory committee on opioid overdoses, a group co-chaired by chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam and her New Brunswick counterpart Dr. Jennifer Russell, the data shows 19 people died on average per day from drug poisonings from January to June 2021. Some 16 Canadians were hospitalized on a daily basis.
This year, 59 per cent of accidental opioid toxicity deaths involved a “stimulant,” according to the figures, which “underscores” the need for leaders to recognize that many users consume multiple drugs at one time, the pair said in a statement. (That can include cocaine and methamphetamines.)
“While harm reduction interventions are essential, we must not lose sight of the importance of the broader conditions that impact substance use,” they said, listing off the securing of “adequate and affordable housing for all” and the need to have “social connections” and reduce stigma and discrimination as among them.
“We are stressing the importance of continued collective efforts to prevent substance-related harms and help people who use drugs get needed supports.”
Wednesday’s release also came with the first report on neonatal abstinence syndrome in the country, highlighting symptoms that a newborn can experience when they are exposed to certain substances while still in the womb.
