As Canadians around the country mourn overdose victims, experts and loved ones warn of a significant rise in opioid-related deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Demonstrations were held as part of International Overdose Awareness Day, which aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma surrounding overdose-related deaths around the world.15,393 people died from apparent drug overdoses between 2016 and 2019, with about a third of those deaths occurring in British Columbia.
Loved ones of overdose victims in Toronto -- where apparent overdose deaths reached record highs in July -- raised a flag at city hall to mark the day of awareness. Provincial police in Ontario said Monday that there’s been an 81-per-cent increase in suspected overdose deaths within OPP jurisdiction since 2017 – the year the police force began carrying naloxone, a medication used to counter the effects of an opioid overdose.
Back in April, Dr. Daniel Kalla, the head of emergency medicine at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, told CTVNews.ca that “We're really concerned that the toxic, unregulated drug market is getting worse,” said Adrienne Crowder, manager of the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy.
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