Opioids in Canada
The opioid crisis is a complex health and social issue with devastating consequences for individuals, families and communities. Between January 2016 and March 2019, an estimated 12,800 Canadians died from an apparent opioid-related overdose, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) External link, opens in new window.
In 2015, CIHI received 4 years of targeted funding from Health Canada to establish key metrics and publicly report data on opioid use and harms across the country. This funding agreement ended on March 31, 2019, and the last opioid-specific report was released in October 2019. Learn more about some of our work below.
Featured resource
Opioid prescribing
Opioid prescribing practices are changing across Canada. Fewer people are starting opioid prescriptions and using opioids long term. This report, published in October 2019, presents trends in opioid prescribing in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia from 2013 to 2018 and discusses findings within the context of initiatives and guidelines aimed at reducing harms associated with prescription opioid use.
Additional resources
Opioid-Related Harms in Canada
Opioid poisonings are on the rise in Canada — between 2012 and 2017, hospitalization rates increased by 27%. In this latest report, we take a closer look at the rates of hospital stays and emergency department visits due to opioid poisonings, and at how rural and small communities across Canada are affected.
Related resources
- Pan-Canadian Trends in the Prescribing of Opioids and Benzodiazepines, 2012 to 2017 (June 2018) (PDF)
- Opioid Overdose Coding Direction (PDF)
- Measuring Prescription Opioid Use (PDF)
- Hospital Stays for Harm Caused by Substance Use Among Youth Age 10 to 24, September 2019 (PDF)
- National Report: Apparent Opioid-Related Deaths in Canada (Apr 2019) External link, opens in new window
How to cite:
Canadian Institute for Health Information. Opioids in Canada. Accessed April 24, 2025.
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