overdose deaths

Federal Addictions Minister Ya'ara Saks says she had "deep concerns" about the lack of limits Toronto put on its now-rejected pitch to decriminalize the possession of illegal drugs — and the city health agency's refusal to make any changes.

Canada's mental health and addictions minister believes fear and stigma are driving criticism of the government's decision to support prescribing pharmaceuticals to drug users to combat the country's overdose crisis.

A new study says people experiencing homelessness make up a growing proportion of opioid overdose deaths in Ontario.

British Columbia officials have sought to rebut claims that drugs prescribed through the province's safe supply program aimed at curbing overdoses are being re-sold to young people, helping fuel the deadly drug toxicity crisis.

Eris Nyx, co-founder of the Drug User Liberation Front, said regulating the illicit supply is the answer to stopping drug toxicity deaths, which have topped 10,000 in British Columbia since the province declared a public health emergency more than six years ago.

British Columbia has lost more than 10,000 lives to illicit drugs since the province declared a public health emergency in April 2016, chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says.

The coroners service in British Columbia says more females are dying from illicit drug use.

Clearly, the stigma starts with the prime minister, says the NDP critic sponsoring the proposed legislation about the Liberals’ resistance to decriminalizing the personal possession of small amounts of drugs.

A report into an investigation of 6,007 overdose deaths in British Columbia calls on the province to urgently develop a policy to distribute a safer supply of drugs and offer better health supports with a plan that would see action taken over 30, 60 and 90 days.

In June, 175 people died from illicit drug overdoses across the province, up from the previous record high of 171 fatalities set in May, the BC Coroners Service reported Thursday.

The most recent data on Ontario opioid-related deaths is from 2015, when the Office of the Chief Coroner says 548 people died from opioid toxicity.