Unanticipated Changes in Drug Overdose Death Rates in Canada During the Opioid Crisis

Bibliographic Data

ID15440872
AuthorsJohn Snowdon (0000-0001-9554-3187, The University of Sydney, corresponding author), Namkee G Choi (0000-0002-8382-1191, The University of Texas at Austin)
Year2022
Volume22
Issue3
Pages1394-1412
Publication date2022-10-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Mental Health and Addiction (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1557-1874 • E-ISSN: 1557-1882
PublisherSpringer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s11469-022-00932-9
PMID36248265
OpenAlexW4304098233
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited11

Escalating drug overdose death rates in Canada are of ever-increasing concern. To better understand the extent of this health threat, we obtained mortality statistics and population figures for the years 2000 to 2020, and examined rates of overdose deaths, coded (using ICD-10) as accidental, suicide or "undetermined intent." The drug deemed as primarily responsible for the death was categorized as opioid, non-opioid, or unspecified. Age patterns of drug deaths were graphed. Joinpoint analysis was used to test the significance of changes in death rates. Accidental opioid and stimulant overdose death rates in Canada have climbed faster since 2011, though not as high as corresponding US rates. Unknown cause death rates have increased. However, opioid and non-opioid suicide rates have decreased significantly since 2011, and there have been fewer drug deaths of undetermined intent. Increased attention to the possibility that some suicides are being misclassified is warranted

Accidental · Cause of death · Drug overdose · Environmental health · Mortality rate · Opioid · Opioid overdose · Poison control · Population · Psychiatry · Stimulant · Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation · Demography · Medicine · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment · Poisoning and overdose treatments · Emergency Medicine · Internal Medicine

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