Despite a 23 per cent drop in drug toxicity deaths across the country, the number of people dying because of the country’s illegal drug crisis remains much higher than it was ten years ago.
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, joined by a number of experts including the chief medical officer of health Dr. Joss Reimer and Fentanyl czar, Kevin Brousseau, provided an update on the situation yesterday.
Minister Michel says the overall economic impact on the country is estimated at a cost of $50 billion a year, $7 billion of which is directly associated with opioids, and tens of billions more in lost productivity.
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Dr. Joss Reimer says while the drop in deaths linked to illegal drugs is encouraging, a lot more needs to be done to address the issue.
She says an average of 15 lives are lost in Canada every day due to drug toxicity.
Dr. Reimer says the ever-changing composition of illegal drugs also requires changes in front-line response.
“Our analysis showing Benzodiazepine involvement in opioid deaths has risen from 8 per cent in 2018 to 34 per cent in 2024 is directly informing how overdose responses are adapted. It reinforces the need for enhanced training, updated protocols and broader harm reduction strategies.”
