“This represents a 68-per-cent increase in opioid-related deaths. That is up from 201 deaths from the same period, May to July, of last year,” said the minister, who is also a doctor. Health Minister Eric Hoskins said Thursday the measures are desperately needed to tackle “a public health crisis” that is claiming more and more lives each month. Emergency naloxone kits to prevent opioid overdoses will be available for all police and fire services in Ontario, and the province has secured federal permission to allow more supervised injection sites such as the one in Toronto’s Moss Park. Between July and September, there were 2,449 emergency department visits related to opioid overdoses in Ontario.

Source: thestar December 07, 2017 21:22 UTC