Statement from the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health and the Chief Coroners and Chief Medical Examiners - Latest National Data on Substance-Related Harms

OTTAWA, ON, June 25, 2025 /CNW/ - The overdose crisis, driven by a toxic illegal drug supply, is one of the most serious public health crises our country has ever faced. Powerful drugs like fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have been flooding the illegal drug supply. The drug toxicity crisis, driven by the toxic drug supply, is a serious public health crisis, with pervasive impacts on families and communities across Canada. The tragic impacts are seen and felt among our friends, our families, and our neighbours.

Today's data release provides a picture of substance-related deaths and harms in 2024. From January to December 2024, there were 7,146 opioid-related drug toxicity deaths, 5,514 hospitalizations, 36,266 Emergency Medical Services responses, and 24,587 emergency department visits.

The national data show substantial decreases for 2024 compared with 2023, while still very high compared to previous years, with a 17% decrease in the number of opioid-related deaths.

These national trends mask important regional differences, as each community faces its own unique challenges. While British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Yukon all reported decreases in opioid-related deaths between 2023 and 2024, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island saw little or no change. The Northwest Territories, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador reported increases in opioid-related deaths over this period. Due to colonialization and continued marginalization, many Indigenous communities have also experienced increases in deaths and disproportionate harms, particularly among Indigenous women.

Understanding the drivers of increases and decreases, as well as regional and demographic dynamics is important for tailoring prevention and intervention strategies. Some provincial and territorial public health partners note that the decrease in deaths may be attributable- at least in part- to a shift to lower toxicity of the drug supply, based on drug checking data indicating a decrease in fentanyl concentrations. Notably, some regions reported a rise in deaths involving substances other than opioids, such as stimulants or benzodiazepines.

In 2024, an average of 20 people died every day from opioid toxicity in Canada, representing a tremendous loss. All aspects of our strategies to respond to the drug toxicity crisis should be population and person-centered. This includes working together across prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement to provide solutions. The drug toxicity crisis is complex, and continued coordinated efforts between multi-sectoral partners are key to save lives and improve population health.

Since 2016, pan-Canadian work has been underway to collaboratively build a national surveillance system to characterize the magnitude of the drug toxicity crisis and its impact on Canadian communities. Death investigation services collect crucial information that helps us understand the evolving nature of the crisis and inform public health action. Ongoing collaboration is essential to identify emerging needs, protective and risk factors, and to assess health inequities experienced by those disproportionately impacted by this urgent crisis. 

As key partners in national surveillance related to opioid and stimulant-related deaths and harms, the provincial and territorial Chief Medical Officers of Health, and the Chief Coroners and Chief Medical Examiners^{1 2} issued this joint statement to accompany the release of the latest data.

The Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health includes the Chief Medical Officer of Health from each provincial and territorial jurisdiction, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, the Chief Medical Officer of Public Health of Indigenous Services Canada, the Chief Medical Officer from the First Nations Health Authority., and ex-officio members from other federal government departments.

Provincial and territorial Chief Coroners and Chief Medical Examiners oversee investigations into unexpected, unnatural, or unexplained deaths. Their role is crucial in determining the cause and understanding circumstances surrounding such deaths. Their work contributes to enhancing health and safety by informing legal and health policies.

1. With the exception of the Chief Medical Officer of Health of Alberta.
2. While Quebec shares the concerns expressed by the CCMOH and CCCME about substance-related harms, it does not subscribe to the statement and will continue to follow its data and implement its own activities on its territory.

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

Media Relations: Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]