National Report: Apparent Opioid-Related Deaths in Canada (December 2017)

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National report: Apparent opioid-related deaths in
Canada (December 2017)

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Canada is experiencing a serious and growing opioid crisis. Across the country, it is having devastating effects on
families and communities.
Accurate information about the crisis will help the efforts to reduce opioid-related harms and deaths.
The Government of Canada is working closely with the provinces and territories to collect and share data on
apparent opioid-related deaths. The data will be updated four times a year and may change based on review and
refinement.
The data in this report should be interpreted with caution due to provincial and territorial differences in the
processing and reporting of apparent opioid-related deaths. In addition, please refer to the Considerations and
Limitations for more information.
Key Findings
According to data reported as of December 11, 2017:
in 2016, there were 2,861 apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada
from January to June 2017, there were at least 1,460 apparent opioid-related deaths and it is expected that
this count will rise as additional data become available
overall, most apparent opioid-related deaths occurred among males (74%) and among individuals between
the ages of 30 and 39 (28%)
from January to June 2017, 74% of apparent opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogues,
compared to 53% in 2016.
The data in this report:
are updated on a quarterly basis
may change based on review and refinement
have been collected by the provinces and territories from their respective offices of Chief Coroners/Medical
Examiners
have been shared through the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses (SAC)
Changes from last report include:
the addition of available preliminary data from April to June 2017 (except for Manitoba, Quebec and
Newfoundland and Labrador)
updates to preliminary data from 2016 and January to March 2017
National and regional trends of apparent opioid-related deaths
The opioid crisis has affected every part of the country, but some provinces and territories have been impacted
more than others. According to data reported as of December 11, 2017:
there were 2,861Footnote a apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada in 2016, corresponding to a death rate of
7.9Footnote a per 100,000 population (Table 1)
there were at least 1,460 apparent opioid-related deaths from January to June 2017 (Table 1)
Figure 1. Number and rate (per 100,000 population) of apparent opioid-related deaths by
province or territory, 2016.
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