Changing Circumstances Surrounding Opioid-Related Deaths in Ontario during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The findings of this report build on our earlier analysis5 to reinforce the urgent need for investment in programs designed to address rising opioid-related deaths across all of Ontario. The high number of polysubstance deaths, and the ongoing volatility of the unregulated opioid market, support the expansion of access to harm reduction services (e.g., safer spaces to use drugs, access to naloxone), low-barrier opioid agonist treatment, and a safer supply of regulated drugs. Furthermore, as the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to broaden and change the places in which people live and use drugs, priority should be given to efforts to provide and maintain housing, integrate harm reduction services into temporary housing settings (i.e., hotels) and shelters, and refer to these services after release from correctional facilities. The synergistic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and Ontario’s overdose epidemic have led to a continued escalation in the rate of opioid-related deaths across the province, demonstrating that rapid action is needed to support people who use drugs as this pandemic continues to evolve.