Researchers from the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN) at St. Michael's Hospital and Public Health Ontario analyzed health data from the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario and ICES, and found that there were 210 accidental opioid-related toxicity deaths within shelters between January 2018 to May 2022, with the number of deaths more than tripling during the study period (48 before the pandemic versus 162 during the pandemic). Statistics Canada data shows that the annual number of emergency beds in Ontario grew by only 15% (6,764 to 7,767) between 2018 and 2022.
People who use Ontario's shelter system are not only facing housing instability, but also have complex healthcare needs and unique barriers to accessing treatment and harm reduction programs. This report underscores the disproportionate impact of the opioid crisis on this population." Bisola Hamzat, lead author, epidemiologist with the ODPRN When exploring the circumstances surrounding the overdose and death, the data showed that someone was present and able to intervene for only 1 in 10 opioid-related toxicity deaths within shelters, which is lower than in Ontario overall (approximately 1 in 4).
However, naloxone was administered most of the time when someone could intervene within shelters. In the week before death, nearly half of people who died within a shelter had contact with the healthcare system, and in the five years prior to death, almost 80% had a hospital visit related for a mental health dia.
