Statistics released Wednesday by the Office of the Chief Coroner show the overall opioid toxicity mortality rate for the province in the third quarter of 2023 was steady over the previous year, with about four deaths per 100,000 people. At the same time, the death rate in the Algoma Public Health unit is 11.5 deaths per 100,000 — almost three times the provincial average.
Sudbury and District Health, North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit and the Northwestern Health Unit round out the top 5 worst death rates for Q3 in the province of Ontario. The OCC states about seven people die per day in Ontario from opioid toxicity. Between January and September of 2023, a total of 29 people were confirmed by the OCC to have died from opioid toxicity in Sault Ste. Marie alone.