Informed opioid deaths decreased nationally in Canada by 17 percent last year, according to federal figures, but decreases are not occurring evenly throughout the country, according to a new report.
The Canada Public Health Agency published the most recent data on Opioid toxicity deaths In 2024, 20 people on average lost their lives per day. YoN 2023The average was 22 deaths per day. The gloomy touch last year was 7,146 lost lives.
On Thursday, the Canadian center on the use and addiction of substances (CCSA) said that despite the apparent decrease, the total number of people who die from opioids in the supply of toxic drugs remains very high.
It is not known why mortality rates are decreasing in many places, although the CCSA noticed that there was a decrease in powerful carpsyl between verified samples and a change of consuming by injection to inhalation.
Samantha King, CCSA Research and Policies Analyst in Ottawa, said that while the decreases are encouraging, deaths remain much higher than when British Columbia declared deaths due to opioid related to opioids an emergency public health emergency In 2016.
“It is not time to drop the ball in terms of assigning resources to the reduction or treatment of damage,” King said in an interview.
The opioid mortality rate in 2024 has decreased by 17 percent since 2023, according to a report by the Canada Public Health Agency. However, the numbers are still high. DJ Larkin, executive director of the Canadian drug policy coalition, says that the preservation of supervised consumption sites and address the underlying social factors are key to maintaining the decrease.
MAPO OF CHANGES
BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Yukon reflected the general decrease in unconfirmed opioid deaths.
But in Quebec, Terranova and Labrador and the Northwest territories, opioid -related deaths increased from 2023 to 2024.
The situation does not change to a large extent in Nueva Scotia and Pei, King said.
At the mercy of the drug supply
Toronto’s Street Health has directed a small supervised consumer site since 2018.
“We are still seeing thousands of people die of preventable deaths in this country. And that is not something that I feel comfortable to pretend that it is normal,” said Kelly White, the Damage Reduction Programs Manager of the non -profit organization.
White said his clients are at the mercy of the people of the street supply, which has varied over time with the corresponding peaks and reductions in overdose deaths.
Similar fentanyl and opioids, as the most powerful carpsIt can be less common now, said White. But, they are seeing more calmizers of animals, known as tramIn the supply.
Animal reassuring as Xilazina and Medetomidine It may not cause the same respiratory depression as fentanyl, but the ranges of people’s heart can immerse themselves extremely low and can develop Filter woundsWhite said.
“We are really constantly playing to achieve.”
Lisa Red Young died in September. He was 48 years old. He had a spirit of generation but fought with addictions in his adulthood.
Dr. Monty Ghosh, an addiction specialist, said that Canada has reached a plateau on opioid overdose deaths.
“People who are more likely to die are already dead, which is a very horrible and morbid thought,” said Ghosh, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.
A multiple approach is needed, he said.
“One day people are ready for treatment and treatment supports and need to access the treatment immediately,” Ghosh said. “The next day they are still using, they have fallen, in which case damage reduction supports are required to make sure that they do not overdose and die.”
The drug supply changes so often border controls, new drug cartels entering the market and drug wars, Ghosh said.
Dan Werb, Executive Director of the Center on the evaluation of drug policies at St. Michael hospital in Toronto, attributed the reduction of opioid overdose deaths to drug trafficking organizations that change their recipes.
“While I am really euphoric to see these reductions in death due to drug overdose, it is quite disappointing for me that 10 to 15 years after this health crisis that defines generation, we trust drug trafficking organizations to decide whether people live or die,” said Werb.
