Opioid deaths in Ontario shelters more than tripled during pandemic, study finds

A new study examining data from the Ontario coroner's office and other sources indicates opioid-related deaths in the province's shelters more than tripled during the COVID-19 pandemic, when compared with a few years prior.A study by researchers from the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital and Public Health Ontario found there were 210 accidental opioid deaths in shelters between January 2018 and May 2022.

Dr. Tara Gomes, a lead author of the study and principal investigator with the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network, said Ontario in general saw an increase in opioid-related deaths during the pandemic, but that increase was more rapid in shelters. "So people are having to adapt their use and use other drugs, like stimulants such as methamphetamines, to counteract those effects. And that can increase the risk of harm for this population."

The study found that somebody was present and able to intervene in only one in seven opioid-related deaths within shelters in Ontario. "There's a real concern that some of the policies that have existed within shelters, and the fear that people have of being kicked out of a shelter if their substance use is noted, is leading to people using drugs alone. And that's increasing the risk of death."Gomes said inadequate resources within shelters to handle the rising numbers of overdoses, as well as the rising harms from the illicit drug supply, have contributed to the spike in opioid-related deaths within shelters.

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