The Outdated Ontario Strategy Fueling the Canadian Opioid Crisis
In the midst of a global pandemic, another public health crisis continues to plague Canada — the opioid crisis. Recently, the Auditor General of Ontario released a report highlighting the outdated strategies used by the Ontario government in combatting the opioid crisis. According to the CTV News article, the opioid response strategy had not adjusted to the massive surge of powerful illegal opioids like fentanyl and carfentanil in the drug market – a trend that is directly reflected in the rising number of fatalities [1].
The Opioid Crisis in Numbers
The opioid crisis, specifically within the province of Ontario, has had devastating effects on its communities. The article mentions that in 2019, there were approximately 1,500 deaths in Ontario alone due to opioid overdoses, showing a 60% increase since 2016. Furthermore, the auditor general report highlighted that the number of serious opioid-related incidents — those that required hospital treatment — nearly doubled, from 4,460 in 2008 to 8,551 in 2018.
Shortcomings in Combatting the Opioid Crisis
As evident from the statistics, the current strategy to battle the opioid crisis is ineffective. The Auditor General’s report suggests that this failure stems from the inability to adapt and adjust its strategy according to developments in the drug market. The opioid crisis in Ontario, similar to many parts of Canada, is currently dominated by the influx of powerful illegal opioids. Compared to 2016, in 2019 the fatality rate due to illegal opioids more than doubled. An updated approach to this public health crisis could potentially prevent a significant number of opioid-related deaths.
Besides the outdated strategy, the report further emphasized that the province lacks proper oversight and coordination that hinder provinces’ effective response against opioid crisis.
- There is no coordinated emergency response in place for sudden increases in opioid-related harms.
- The responsibility for addressing the opioid crisis has been largely transitioned to municipalities without corresponding resources.
- The government’s public health tracking system failed to incorporate relevant data from different law enforcement agencies.
Steps Forward: Recommendations by the Auditor General
In light of these issues, the report provided several suggestions that can help improve Ontario’s response to the opioid crisis. These recommendations include:
- Updating opioid strategy that can respond more effectively to new trends and issues in the drug market.
- A coordinated and comprehensive strategy to manage the crisis at the municipal level.
- Improvements in public health tracking and increasing data sharing with law enforcement to identify the major factors driving the crisis.
- Optimizing the use of naloxone — a drug that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose — to ensure it is available to those most likely to witness and respond to an overdose.
- Canadian opioid abatement class action could play a significant role in providing sufficient funds to address the crisis.
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A Look at Community Impacts Beyond Overdoses
While the repercussions of the opioid crisis manifest most drastically in overdose deaths, the impacts ripple outwards affecting various aspects of the community. From a rise in homelessness particularly in Quebec homeless populations, to an increase in crime rates, the societal implications of the crisis goes much beyond health concerns.
Conclusion
The opioid crisis in Canada demands immediate attention and action. The escalating death rates and immense societal impacts underscore the urgent need for an updated, comprehensive, and coordinated opioid strategy. These findings should inform policy changes, education efforts, law enforcement strategies, support for affected individuals, and the allocation of funds such as those from the Canadian opioid abatement class action to address this emergency effectively. The Auditor General’s report serves as a critical call to action to not let another public health crisis be overshadowed and to protect the health and wellbeing of our communities.
