The rise in opioid-related harms is an issue of increasing public health importance in Canada. Measures that provide a better understanding of the harms associated with opioid use are a high priority.
This chartbook provides an overview of opioid-related harms in Canada, including available data on hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits due to opioid poisoning.
The hospitalization analysis includes 2007–2008 to 2016–2017 data from all provinces and territories (except Quebec and Nunavut, where the most recent data available at the time of release was 2015–2016).
The ED analysis is based on available, comparable data. At the time of release, this includes 2012–2013 to 2016–2017 data from Ontario and Alberta. Although ED data was available for Yukon, it was excluded due to small volumes.
Supplementary data tables accompany this chartbook and are available online. The data tables provide more detailed breakdowns and trending information for opioid poisoning hospitalizations and ED visits.
CIHI intends to publish updated analyses as more data becomes available, including ED data for more jurisdictions.
This report includes data specific to the St. Catharines – Niagara census metropolitan.
Published By: Canadian Institute for Health Information
Publication: 2017
