Opioid-related deaths in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington in Ontario, Canada: the shadow epidemic

Abstract

Introduction In the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) health unit, opioid overdoses are an important preventable cause of death. The KFL&A region differs from larger urban centres in its size and culture; the current overdose literature that is focussed on these larger areas is less well suited to aid in understanding the context within which overdoses take place in smaller regions. This study characterized opioidrelated mortality in KFL&A, to enhance understanding of opioid overdoses in these smaller communities. Methods We analyzed opioid-related deaths that occurred in the KFL&A region between May 2017 and June 2021. Descriptive analyses (number and percentage) were performed on factors conceptually relevant in understanding the issue, including clinical and demographic variables, as well as substances involved, locations of deaths and whether substances were used while alone. Results A total of 135 people died of opioid overdose. The mean age was 42 years, and most participants were White (94.8%) and male (71.1%). Decedents often had the following characteristics: being currently or previously incarcerated; using substances alone; not using opioid substitution therapy; and having a prior diagnosis of anxiety and depression. Conclusion FSpecific characteristics such as incarceration, using alone and not using opioid substitution therapy were represented in our sample of people who died of an opioid overdose in the KFL&A region. A robust approach to decreasing opioid-related harm integrating telehealth, technology and progressive policies including providing a safe supply would assist in supporting people who use opioids and in preventing deaths.

Substance-Related Acute Toxicity Deaths in Canada from 2016 to 2017: Protocol for a Retrospective Chart Review Study of Coroner and Medical Examiner Files (Preprint)

“…High quality data are particularly needed at the national level to estimate burden and explore acute toxicity deaths among subpopulations, thereby enhancing our understanding of inequities and risk factors [3][4][5][6]. Although numerous studies and reports have described substance-related acute toxicity deaths at the regional, provincial, and territorial (P/T) levels [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24], these used a variety of methods and case definitions, making it difficult to aggregate findings at the national level and compare them across P/Ts. Vital Statistics data from medical certificates of death are standardized and routinely collated at the national level in Canada [25].…”