Experts are urging that more needs to be done to increase access and reduce barriers to mental health resources, following Toronto Public Health’s (TPH) devastating 2023 findings on opioid-related deaths.
TPH released the data on Wednesday, which says a total of 523 deaths due to opioid toxicity were reported in the city last year, a 74 per cent increase from 301 deaths in 2019.
The data also revealed that the drug toxicity crisis intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating record-breaking deaths in 2020 and 2021.
Preliminary details provided for 427 out of 523 deaths that were deemed accidental indicated that nearly half of the deaths were individuals between the ages of 25 to 44, more than half lived in private residences in the city, and 39 per cent were at home at the time of their death, according to TPH.
“This is a public health crisis. Most overdose deaths are poisonings from a toxic, unregulated drug supply,” Andrew Brett, director of Communications at Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange, told Now Toronto on Thursday.
“Harm reduction initiatives like supervised consumption sites and prescribing a safer supply of drugs have been shown to reduce deaths and connect people to other types of health-care,” Brett said.
“Every life lost to the opioid epidemic is a tragedy,” Justin Bates, CEO of Ontario Pharmacists Association added.
He describes the findings as “alarming,” and says that society must do better at increasing access and reducing barriers to mental health and addiction services, which the lack thereof is often what causes many to turn to drug use as a coping mechanism.
A major part in the rise of opioid-related deaths is that the drug supply is unregulated and increasingly toxic, often contaminated with dangerous substances, TPH said in a news release.
“People are recreationally using illicit drug supply, not a safe supply, and at times that can be laced,” Bates said. “It’s a very sad and unfortunate situation where much of the street supply is becoming contaminated with fentanyl and other additives that are creating the situation we are seeing.”
Bates says pharmacists have a pivotal role in safely dispensing opioids and life-saving medications. Access to prescribed therapies, like Suboxone and Methadone, to treat opioid dependence are increasing within the pharmacy community and are very important.
He also advocates for pharmacists to continue promoting open dialogue with their patients regarding opioid use disorder and provide access to Naloxone, in which they should be providing training on how to use during a crisis.
“Naloxone kits can certainly save lives,” Bates said, also noting that these kits are free and do not require a prescription or health card. The drug can be administered as an injection or a nasal spray, and Bates emphasized the significance of getting it into the hands of non-drug users should they come into contact with an overdosing individual.
“You never know when you may find yourself in a situation where somebody is experiencing an overdose. So, having access to that and knowing how to use it, I think is really important,” he said.
