Report Shows Increase in Drug Overdose Fatalities Involving Multiple Substances in Ontario Since the Beginning of the Pandemic.
Recently, Dr. Marko Erak attended to a patient in the emergency room of Humber River Hospital in Toronto who had experienced an overdose of carfentanil, an exceedingly dangerous opioid.
The growing prevalence of potent drugs is a recurring concern for physicians like Dr. Erak.
“The amount of resources taken to resuscitate certainly are higher,” Said Dr. Erak
While the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily receded, Dr. Erak observes that it has left a trail of poor mental health and financial distress in its wake. He suspects that these factors are contributing to a surge in overdose cases, akin to a ‘tsunami of overdoses.’
Furthermore, these overdose incidents are growing in complexity, as Dr. Erak notes an increasing prevalence of individuals with multiple drugs in their system.
A recent report, released on Thursday, highlights this trend across Ontario, indicating a rising number of fatalities resulting from the presence of multiple toxic substances since the pandemic’s onset.
This pattern extends beyond Ontario and is evident throughout Canada and the United States. Recent research reveals that the number of overdose deaths involving fentanyl and stimulants (such as cocaine or methamphetamine) has skyrocketed more than 50-fold from 2010 to 2021.
The report, published by the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN) and Public Health Ontario, also provides comprehensive insights into the demographics of the victims and the specific drugs responsible for their deaths. It underscores an increasingly hazardous and unregulated drug supply, resulting in more intricate forms of addiction necessitating nuanced treatment approaches.
“What surprised me the most was just the complexity of it,” said Tara Gomes, a research scientist based out of Unity Health Toronto and a principal investigator with the ODPRN.
“Understanding the full complement of all these different substances that are contributing to harm and how often they’re being used together in different ways really just shed a light on how difficult it is to address this issue.”
The study primarily focused on four substances, which were identified as the primary contributors to the majority of deaths: opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines, and stimulants.
Benzodiazepines belong to a class of sedative medications often prescribed for anxiety or sleep disorders, while stimulants encompass drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, and amphetamine, primarily used to enhance alertness.
Before the onset of the pandemic, the number of fatalities resulting from one or two substances was relatively similar. However, following the declaration of the COVID-19 emergency in March 2020, there was a notable increase in deaths attributed to the presence of at least two different substances.
The report also highlighted that a significant proportion of these individuals were found to have a combination of opioids and stimulants in their system.
The report highlights that in 2021, 96 percent of deaths involving benzodiazepines also involved opioids. Gomes suggested that this combination is likely due to the fact that benzodiazepines prolong the effects of opioids.
When used together, the report indicates that there is twice the likelihood of a person experiencing a fatal outcome or heightened withdrawal symptoms.
Mortality rates in northern Ontario are three times greater than those in southern Ontario.
Regarding those who passed away in 2021, the study uncovered the following statistics:
- 52.7 percent fell within the age range of 25 to 44.
- 75 percent were male.
- 40.2 percent resided in lower-income neighborhoods.
Additionally, in 2021, the incidence of toxic substance-related deaths in northern Ontario was approximately three times higher compared to the southern regions of the province. The mortality rate remained consistent across urban and rural areas, with the majority of individuals passing away in private residences.
Earlier this week, leaders of First Nations communities in northern Ontario called for the declaration of a public emergency and social crisis due to the disproportionate challenges related to mental health and addiction confronting the region.
Dr. David Marsh, the Vice-Dean of Research, Innovation, and International Relations at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University in Sudbury, Ontario, emphasized the increased difficulty in accessing addiction treatment services in the northern parts of the province.
“When we look at how far people with opiate use disorder travel to get treatment in northern Ontario, the average is 124 kilometres, compared to 16 kilometres in southern Ontario, so distance makes a big difference,” he said.
According to Marsh, individuals in northern regions often reside at greater distances from hospitals, resulting in longer response times for emergency services during critical situations.
Gomes pointed out that northern communities have a higher Indigenous population. Intergenerational trauma stemming from colonization and the residential school system, coupled with issues like inadequate housing and limited access to clean water, can significantly influence substance use among residents.
Gomes emphasized the importance of prioritizing culturally sensitive treatment options for these communities.
