National Report: Apparent Opioid-related Deaths in Canada Published: ()
Key findings
The opioid crisis has affected every part of the country, but there are clear differences in death rates and the substances involved across provinces and territories. The national-level key findings below are based on available data reported as of . It is expected that these numbers will change as additional data become available.
National numbers
More than 12,800 apparent opioid-related deaths occurred between January 2016 and :
- 3,023 deaths occurred in 2016 and 4,120 occurred in 2017
- 4,588 deaths occurred in 2018; this means that 1 life was lost every 2 hours related to opioids
- 1,082 occurred
Quarterly regional numbers
The opioid crisis has affected every part of the country, but some provinces and territories have been impacted more than others:
- Western Canada continues to be the most impacted region of the country, but rates have increased in other regions, including Ontario
- Although regional variation exists, a significant increase in rates of apparent opioid-related deaths at the national level was observed between January 2016 and June 2017; the rates remained high from July 2017 to March 2019
Sex and age group numbers
, 93% of apparent opioid-related deaths were accidental (unintentional):
- Most accidental apparent opioid-related deaths occurred among males (76%); however this varied by province or territory
- Age group patterns also varied by region; however, the vast majority of deaths were among young and middle aged adults
Fentanyl, fentanyl analogues,
and other substances
Fentanyl and other fentanyl-related substances continue to be a major driver of this crisis:
- , 82% of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogues; however, patterns varied by province or territory
- Approximately 74% of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths between January 2016 and also involved one or more types of non-opioid substances
National numbers
Figure 1. Number and rate of
apparent opioid-related deaths by province or territory
in
Use the map below to see the number and rate of apparent opioid-related deaths. Navigate the map using Tab or Hover. Once a province is selected, Zoom using Click (when hovering) or Spacebar (when tabbing).
In , the number of total apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada was .
The death rate in Canada was per 100,000 population for the selected year.
Quarterly regional numbers
Figure 2. Number of
apparent opioid-related deaths by quarter in
,
between January 2016 and
Sex and age group numbers
The following section provides detailed information on accidental apparent opioid-related deaths, which are deaths with completed investigations where the coroner or medical examiner determined that the death was unintentional. This category also includes deaths with ongoing investigations where the manner of death was believed to be unintentional or had not been assigned at the time of reporting.
in
Fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other substances
Apparent opioid-related deaths often involve multiple substances including one or more opioids as well as non-opioid substances. Knowing the opioid and non-opioid substances involved in these deaths can help public health officials and other government agencies communicate risks and target harm reduction efforts.
Acknowledgment
This report would not be possible without the collaboration and dedication of provincial and territorial (PT) offices of Chief Coroners and Medical Examiners as well as PT public health and health partners.
Suggested citation
Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses. National report: Apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada (January 2016 to ). Web Based Report. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada; . https://health-infobase.canada.ca/datalab/national-surveillance-opioid-mortality.html
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