Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40856508›Full record

ArticleAlcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire)2025

Circumstances surrounding alcohol toxicity deaths and prior pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder in Ontario, Canada.

William Wynne, Anita Iacono, Joanna Yang, Bisola Hamzat, Pamela Leece, Gillian Kolla, Rob Boyd, Nikki Bozinoff, Mike Franklyn, Dana Shearer and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

William WynneLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada.
Anita IaconoLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada.
Joanna YangICES, 2075 Bayview Ave V Wing, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
Bisola HamzatLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada.
Pamela LeecePublic Health Ontario, 661 University Avenue, Suite 1701, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada.
Gillian KollaFaculty of Medicine, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Dr, St. John's, NL A1B 3X5, Canada.
Rob BoydOttawa Inner City Health Inc, 550 Old St. Patrick St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5L5, Canada.
Nikki BozinoffDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada.
Mike FranklynNorthern Ontario School of Medicine, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada.
Dana ShearerLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada.
Ashley SmokeOntario Drug Policy Research Network Lived Experience Advisory Group, 38 Shuter St, Toronto, ON M5B 1A6, Canada.
Fangyun WuICES, 2075 Bayview Ave V Wing, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
Paul NewcombeOntario Drug Policy Research Network Lived Experience Advisory Group, 38 Shuter St, Toronto, ON M5B 1A6, Canada.
Tara GomesLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-1468-1965

Funding

CIHR 178163
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionDespite a high prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Canada, access to medication-based treatment remains poor. Therefore, our aim was to explore patterns of alcohol toxicity deaths in Ontario, Canada, circumstances surrounding death, prior healthcare interactions, and pharmacotherapy for AUD.

methodsWe conducted a population-based repeated cross-sectional study of alcohol toxicity deaths occurring between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2022 in Ontario, Canada. We reported trends in deaths over time and determined demographic characteristics of decedents, circumstances surrounding death, and prior healthcare interactions. Among a subset of the cohort with an AUD diagnosis eligible for public drug benefits, we reported receipt of medications used to treat AUD before death.

resultsWe identified 1346 alcohol toxicity deaths over the study period, at a median age of 42 years, with 73.8% occurring among men. The majority of alcohol toxicity deaths involved other substances, including opioids (75.2%), benzodiazepines (10.8%), and/or stimulants (45.2%). Half had an AUD (50.4%) and 62.7% had an opioid, benzodiazepine or stimulant use disorder. Among decedents who were public drug beneficiaries with an AUD (N = 361), only 3.6% were actively prescribed first-line AUD pharmacotherapies (naltrexone and/or acamprosate) at time of death.

conclusionsWe found that the majority of alcohol toxicity deaths in Ontario involved other non-alcohol substances. We also detected a high prevalence of prior healthcare encounters for substance use disorders (SUDs) and low prevalence of evidence-based AUD pharmacotherapy. This suggests a need for integrated treatment across concurrent SUDs and improved access to pharmacotherapies for AUD across Ontario.

Indexed as

AlcoholismAdultAgedAlcohol DeterrentsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNaltrexoneOntarioYoung AdultAlcohol DeterrentsNaltrexoneacamprosatealcoholalcohol use disorderintoxicationnaltrexone

Identifiers

PMID40856508
PMCPMC12378735

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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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.