On Dec. 23, co-chairs of the federal, provincial, and territorial Special Advisory Committee on Toxic Drug Poisonings- —Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, and Dr. Sudit Ranade, Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health —issued a statement on the release of the latest surveillance data on opioid and stimulant-related harms in Canada from January 2016 to June 2024: “From January to June 2024, there were 3,787 opioid-related deaths, representing an average of 21 deaths every day. During this same period, there were 2,846 hospitalizations (16 per day) for opioid-related poisoning, 18,792 emergency medical services responses (104 per day) to suspected opioid-related poisoning, and 13,287 (73 per day) emergency department visits for opioid-related poisoning. While these figures are lower compared to the same period in 2023, the data is considered preliminary and subject to change as updated information comes in from the provinces and territories, such as completed death investigations. Similar fluctuations have been seen before, and while encouraging, we must remain cautious in drawing conclusions on the trends for 2024.” The full statement is available online. Contact media@hc-sc.gc.ca.
This post was modified last January 7, 2025 2:30 pm