Health Canada, along with the special advisory committee, released new data on opioid addiction and other stimulant-related harms Friday. The committee, which consists of federal, provincial and territorial advisors, studied data collected in the first six months of 2023, coupled with “historical data” since collection began in 2016. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam and New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer released a joint statement revealing 3,970 opioid-related deaths and 39,435 hospitalizations for opioid-related poisonings between January and June — the highest reported since surveillance began. Officials predict, based on previous data, the trend will continue to rise, according to a press release from Health Canada.The data “underscores the seriousness of substance-related harms in Canada and the urgent need to continue working together to address this ongoing public health crisis. We must work together. We must listen. We must learn from the voices and expertise of people with lived and living experience, to guide our response efforts and ensure we are meeting people where they are at,” Health Canada said. “All Canadians can have a positive impact by learning the signs of an overdose, carrying naloxone, and challenging stigmatizing language and attitudes related to substance use.”.To combat the issue, the joint committee renewed the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS) to focus more on “a holistic and collaborative public health and public safety approach to this crisis.”The CDSS will “prioritize children and youth” in efforts to “help prevent, delay and lower their rates of substance use,” through the new Youth Substance Use Prevention Program, which is based on the “effective” Icelandic Prevention Model. The program will offer youth “equitable and easy access to services and supports when they need them,” referring to these new Integrated Youth Services (IYS) initiatives as “one-stop shops.”The IYS “provides effective, youth-focused and integrated services for mental health and substance-use alongside other youth supports such as, counselling, primary care, work and study supports, and housing,” the statement reads. With 75 IYS stations established across the country, the committee has 55 more in development. A “pan-Canadian indigenous IYS network is also in development,” the statement continues. “As we continue to take both evidence based and innovative initiatives to address substance-related harms, research and data to determine their impact are critical. Through the renewed CDSS, independent evaluations of the implementation and impact of interventions will continue to be supported.”
