Canada saw a decline in opioid-related deaths in 2024, but public health officials warn the country remains in the grip of a deadly crisis—with Ontario among the provinces still heavily impacted.
According to new national data released Wednesday by Canada’s chief medical officers of health, coroners, and medical examiners, 7,146 people died from opioid toxicity between January and December 2024.
While that figure is a welcome drop from 8,623 deaths recorded in 2023, it remains alarmingly higher than the 3,742 opioid-related deaths reported in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated drug use and mental health challenges.
The data showed that Ontario, along with British Columbia and Alberta, accounted for 80% of all opioid deaths in 2024.
On a per-capita basis, Yukon, Alberta, and Manitoba saw the highest rates, with more than 20 deaths per 100,000 people.
Despite Ontario’s overall decline from the previous year, the province still faces a significant public health burden and continues to deal with high rates of emergency room visits, ambulance calls, and hospitalizations due to suspected opioid toxicity.
Public health officials say that while the overall reduction in deaths may be partly attributed to a “shift to lower toxicity of the drug supply”—including a measured drop in fentanyl concentrations—there are still troubling trends to address.
For example, 74% of all opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl, and 70% also involved a stimulant such as cocaine, methamphetamine, or amphetamines.
The data also revealed gender disparities, with men accounting for 71% of opioid-related deaths. Indigenous communities, particularly Indigenous women, experienced an increase in deaths compared to 2023—a trend attributed to systemic factors such as colonialism and continued marginalization.
Other key statistics from 2024 include 5,514 hospitalizations, 36,266 ambulance responses, and 24,587 emergency department visits linked to suspected opioid overdoses. Those figures are all approximately 15% lower than in 2023, providing cautious optimism, but experts emphasize the need for continued investment in harm reduction, safe supply programs, treatment options, and community-based support.
While some provinces like British Columbia and Alberta also saw declines, others—including Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories—reported increases, underscoring what officials described as significant “regional differences” in the crisis.
For Ontario and much of the country, the battle against opioid deaths is far from over, even as trends suggest some progress is being made.