The number of opioid-related deaths in Toronto has doubled during the
pandemic, a new provincial report shows.
In response, local advocates are calling on the federal government to decriminalize opioids and for the province to increase the number of and funding for safe consumption sites — both demands that have been ignored for years.
The report, “Changing Circumstances Surrounding Opioid-Related Deaths in Ontario during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” was released by the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network, the coroner’s office and Public Health Ontario.
The study found that the numbers province-wide — which includes municipalities with less funding, harm reduction tools or training — were also disturbing: a 79.2 per cent increase in opioid-related deaths between February and December 2020. There were a total 2,426 deaths reported in all of 2020.
