ARCHIVED - Infographic: Opioid-related harms in Canada – December 2018

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Organization: Health Canada

Type: Infographic

Published: 2016-12-12

December 12, 2018

Deaths

In the first half of 2018, 2,066 apparent opioid-related deaths occurred.

This means more than 9,000 lives were lost between January 2016 and June 2018 related to opioids.

Table 1. Number of apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada
Year and quarter
2016 2017 2018
Jan to Mar Apr to Jun Jul to Sep Oct to Dec Jan to Mar Apr to Jun Jul to Sep Oct to Dec Jan to Mar Apr to Jun
Number of apparent  opioid-related deaths in CanadaTable 1 Footnote * 716 672 692 911 895 1000 1097 969 1034 1032
Table 1 Footnote *

These counts do not include data from Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Nunavut. Data from British Columbia and available data from Quebec for 2017 (July to December) and 2018 include deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids.

Table 1 Return to footnote * referrer

Table 2. Number of deaths in 2018 (Jan to Jun)
Province or territory Number of deaths Rate per 100,000 populationTable 2 Footnote d
British ColumbiaTable 2 Footnote a 754 20.0 and higher
Alberta 379 15.0 to 19.9
SaskatchewanTable 2 Footnote b 33 5.0 to 9.9
Manitoba 22 0.0 to 4.9
Ontario 638 5.0 to 9.9
QuebecTable 2 Footnote c 195 0.0 to 4.9
New Brunswick 10 0.0 to 4.9
Nova Scotia 34 5.0 to 9.9
Prince Edward IslandTable 2 Footnote b 0 0.0 to 4.9
Newfoundland and Labrador Suppressed Suppressed
YukonTable 2 Footnote b 0 0.0 to 4.9
Northwest Territories 1 0.0 to 4.9
Nunavut Suppressed Suppressed
Table 2 Footnote a

Includes deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids.

Table 2 Return to footnote a referrer

Table 2 Footnote b

Includes deaths with completed investigations only.

Table 2 Return to footnote b referrer

Table 2 Footnote c

Includes unintentional deaths with ongoing investigations related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids.

Table 2 Return to footnote c referrer

Table 2 Footnote d

The estimated annual rate for 2018 is based on available data from January to June 2018.

Table 2 Return to footnote d referrer

Hospitalizations

An average of 17 people were hospitalized for opioid poisonings in Canada each day in 2017–an increase from 16 per day in 2016.

In 2017, opioid poisoning hospitalization rates in smaller communitiesFootnote 1 were 2.5 times higher than rates in Canada's largest cities.

Emergency department visits

Between 2016 and 2017, the rate of emergency department visits for opioid poisonings increased by:

  • 73% in Ontario
  • 23% in Alberta

Emergency medical servicesFootnote 2

Based on available data, 71% of suspected opioid-related overdoses occurred among men.

Suspected opioid-related overdoses were most common among individuals between the ages of 20 and 29.

Notes

Together we can stop overdoses

Learn more at Canada.ca/Opioids

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Communities with populations between 50,000 and 99,999.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

Based on data from January to June 2018 from Yukon (Whitehorse), Northwest Territories, Alberta (Edmonton and Calgary), Saskatchewan, Manitoba (Winnipeg and rural and northern Manitoba), Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia. Data from British Columbia includes suspected overdoses related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids.

Return to footnote 2 referrer

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