Deaths from opioid overdoses fell last year, but worsened in some provinces

Fewer Canadians died from opioid overdoses last year, new national data show, but a regional breakdown paints a complicated picture of the drug toxicity crisis that eased in some provinces but worsened in others.The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) released on Wednesday figures on substance-related deaths and harms in 2024. Nearly 7,150 opioid deaths were reported last year, a 13-per-cent decline compared with 2023. There was also a 22-per-cent reduction in stimulant deaths.