A new study reveals that the number of accidental drug and alcohol deaths in Ontario nearly doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, released on September 14, found that in 2021, almost 3,000 people died from drug or alcohol toxicity, compared to nearly 1,600 people in 2018. This translates to eight deaths every day in 2021. The research was conducted by the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (OPDRN) and Public Health Ontario.
The study also noted that for the first time during the pandemic, the number of deaths involving multiple substances surpassed deaths from one substance alone. Senior author Tara Gomes, a principal investigator of the ODPRN, stated that the report demonstrates the worsening of substance-related harms during the pandemic. The findings were based on data obtained from ICES, the Office of the Chief Coroner, and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.
The study analyzed data from 2018 to 2021 and revealed that opioids, particularly fentanyl, accounted for over 85 percent of the nearly 9,000 accidental deaths from substance-related toxicity during that period. In 2021 alone, opioids accounted for nearly 83 percent of deaths in the province. The study also highlighted an increase in deaths from cocaine, methamphetamine, and benzodiazepine use in recent years.
Deaths from alcohol toxicity in Ontario increased by 15.6 percent between 2018 and 2021, with nearly 300 people losing their lives during that period. However, the majority of these cases involved other substances, with only 25 deaths solely attributed to alcohol. The study warned that using multiple drugs increases the risk of death and makes it difficult for toxic reversing agents like naloxone to be effective.
The study also revealed that the deceased were predominantly male (74.6 percent) and had a median age of 40 years old. Three-quarters of the incidents occurred in private residences. The Canadian Press contributed to this report.