At least 1,036 Canadians died in the first three months of this year of what appeared to be opioid overdoses, raising the opioid epidemic's national death toll to more than 8,000 people since January 2016, according to newly released government figures. They co-chair the government's special advisory committee on the opioid overdose epidemic. Men continue to be among the demographics hardest hit by opioid deaths. More than three quarters of the apparent victims of fatal opioid overdoses in 2018 were men. Ginette Petitpas-Taylor spoke to the CBC's Paul MacInnis after QP on Tuesday 1:39In 2016, slightly more than 3,000 Canadians died of apparent opioid overdoses.

Source: CBC News September 18, 2018 18:54 UTC