ArticleCMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne2024
Opioid-related deaths between 2019 and 2021 across 9 Canadian provinces and territories.
Article in CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 35 citations in OpenAlex.
- Opioid Toxicity Following Concomitant Use of Macrolide Antibiotics with Fentanyl, Hydromorphone, or Oxycodone: A Population-Based Study.Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · 2026Article
- Understanding Illicit Prescription Painkiller Use: A Multivariable Exploration of Mental Health and Other Predictors Among Canadian University Students: Comprendre la consommation illicite d'analgésiques sur ordonnance : une analyse multivariée de la santé mentale et d'autres facteurs prédictifs chez les étudiants universitaires canadiens.Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie · 2026Article
- Patient experiences and perceived efficacy of a newly implemented hospital-based withdrawal management unit in Vancouver, Canada: findings from the Road to Recovery evaluation.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2026Article
- Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on opioid toxicity mortality rates in Nova Scotia: An interrupted time series analysis (2009-2023).Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2026Article
- Postpartum women's motivation for substance use recovery: an exploratory qualitative study of recovery capital.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2026Article
- Socioeconomic inequities in drug poisoning deaths in Canada.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2026Article
- Opioid dispensing prior to opioid toxicity hospitalizations and emergency department visits in Canada, 2018-2022.PloS one · 2026Article
- Fentanyl, Amphetamine-type Stimulants, Heroin, and xylazine in drug residues in two Northern border Mexican cities.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Addressing barriers to addiction recovery services in the Northwest Territories, Canada.International journal of circumpolar health · 2025Article
- Naloxone awareness and acquisition: Findings from the 2021‒2022 Canadian Postsecondary Education Alcohol and Drug Use Survey.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2025Article
- Clinical heterogeneity and phenotyping of post cardiac arrest brain injury: one size may not fit all.Intensive care medicine · 2025Review
- Comfort in Providing Care and Associations With Attitudes Towards Substance Use: A Survey of Mental Health Clinicians at an Urban Hospital in Vancouver, Canada.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing · 2025Article
- Sur la route des surdoses: un portrait canadien.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2025Article
- Burden of non-CO poisoning in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2021: results from the global burden of disease study 2021.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Comparison of opioid use among long-term care residents in Ontario and Alberta, Canada: A multi-jurisdictional, repeated cross-sectional study.Canadian journal of pain = Revue canadienne de la douleur · 2025Article
- A mixed methods study on poisoning and injury-related emergency department visits associated with opioids in Canada, 2011 to 2022: from the Canadian hospitals injury reporting and prevention program.BMC public health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe drug toxicity crisis continues to accelerate across Canada, with rapid increases in opioid-related harms following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to describe trends in the burden of opioid-related deaths across Canada throughout the pandemic, comparing these trends by province or territory, age, and sex.
methodsWe conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis of accidental opioid-related deaths between Jan. 1, 2019, and Dec. 31, 2021, across 9 Canadian provinces and territories using aggregated national data. Our primary measure was the burden of premature opioid-related death, measured by potential years of life lost. Our secondary measure was the proportion of all deaths attributable to opioids; we used the Cochrane-Armitage test for trend to compare proportions.
resultsBetween 2019 and 2021, the annual number of opioid-related deaths increased from 3007 to 6222 and years of life lost increased from 126 115 to 256 336 (from 3.5 to 7.0 yr of life lost per 1000 population). In 2021, the highest number of years of life lost was among males (181 525 yr) and people aged 30-39 years (87 045 yr). In 2019, we found that 1.7% of all deaths among those younger than 85 years were related to opioids, rising to 3.2% in 2021. Significant increases in the proportion of deaths related to opioids were observed across all age groups (
interpretationAcross Canada, the burden of premature opioid-related deaths doubled between 2019 and 2021, representing more than one-quarter of deaths among younger adults. The disproportionate loss of life in this demographic group highlights the critical need for targeted prevention efforts.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.