Canada’s opioid crisis is a symptom of a much larger, unaddressed issue— our approach to treating chronic pain in our country.
It is a prevalent misconception that opioid addiction primarily affects illegal drug users. Perhaps Canadians feel more comfortable dismissing opioid addiction as a “them” problem (“them” being illicit drug users), or perhaps many of us simply aren’t aware of how widespread prescription drug abuse has become.
Regardless of why this misconception exists, it is dangerous. It prevents us from collectively acknowledging the truth: our country is facing a public health emergency.
How We Got Here
We know that 37 per cent of opioid-dependent patients admitted to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto reported receiving opioids solely from physician prescriptions, compared to 26 per cent of patients who received opioids from both a prescription and “the street,” and 21 per cent from the street alone.
We also know that just 2 per cent of Canadians who use opioid pain relievers report using them for non-medical reasons.
What does this tell us about Canada’s opioid crisis?
Firstly, it tells us that chronic pain is at the root of opioid addiction. It is estimated that 20 per cent of Canadians suffer from chronic pain and it is reasonable that they would seek a solution to their discomfort.
But this leads us to our second, most urgent lesson: opioids are over-prescribed in Canada.
Here are just a few examples of studies that verify this statement:
- Between 1991 and 2007, the number of prescriptions written for oxycodone in Ontario increased by 850 per cent. (Source)
- Nearly 79 per cent of Canadian patients are prescribed opioids after an operation. By comparison, just 11 per cent of Swedish citizens are prescribed opioids after a medical procedure. (Source)
- The overall number of prescriptions for opioids in Canada increased by almost seven per cent between 2012 and 2016. (Source)
The bottom line? Opioid addiction isn’t a “street” problem. It’s an epidemic that’s impacting all Canadians, regardless of their socioeconomic status, prior history of drug use, or social vulnerabilities.
What We’re Facing
Canada’s opioid crisis was further exacerbated by the introduction of powerful synthetic opioids like Fentanyl to the illegal drug market.
In 2016 alone, there were 2,861 opioid overdoses and 16 opioid-related hospitalizations in Canada each day.
In total, there have been nearly 20,000 opioid-related deaths in Canada since 2016, and the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario account for 85% of all opioid toxicity deaths in the country.
But it isn’t just opioid-related deaths that are a concern— opioid hospitalization rates place immense pressure on our healthcare systems, depleting resources that are much-needed, especially in the midst of a global pandemic.
In 2020 alone, 5,215 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations occurred (approximately 14 hospitalizations per day), of which 68% were accidental (unintentional).
To put it simply? The opioid crisis in Canada has reached a critical point, and permanent, systemic solutions are urgently required to address the issue.
What Can Be Done
There are three core shifts that need to occur in order to adequately address Canada’s opioid crisis. These shifts include:
1. Increasing Access to Treatment and Addiction Services
Studies show that just one in three Canadians suffٴering from addiction are able to access effective treatment. This simply is not sufficient enough to address opioid addiction in our country.
2. Improving Our National Approach to Pain Management
Medical professionals must be educated on safe practices for pain management and be willing to stop using opioids as a first-line therapy. Currently, Canada rates second only to the United States in per capita consumption of opioids. We must reevaluate our healthcare protocols and begin shifting our focus to alternative treatments (when it is reasonable to do so), like physical therapy, acupuncture, and radiofrequency ablation, among other options.
3. Investing in Overdose Prevention and Reversal Education
We can combat Canada’s opioid crisis by teaching our citizens how to recognize the signs and symptoms of addiction, providing them with the skills and confidence to discuss addiction with someone who may be experiencing it, and also promoting life-saving overdose reversal techniques, like the use of Naloxone.
Together, we can create a major shift in the way we view, treat, and prevent opioid addiction in our country.
How We Can Help
We cover substance-related disorders in our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA): Basic training session. It is the perfect course for individuals who want an introduction to crisis intervention strategies, and who are interested in gaining confidence to properly engage a person who’s in distress (and ultimately connect them to appropriate support).