Half of Ontarians who died of opioid overdose at start of pandemic sought medical help: report
Posted Jan 21, 2022 02:50:00 AM.
Half of Ontarians who died of an opioid overdose in the early stages of the pandemic had interacted with the healthcare system in the months before their deaths.
That’s according to a new report that shows many had recently been to the emergency department to see a doctor.
Dr. Jeffrey Turnbull with the Ottawa Inner City Health Unit told City News that overdoses are coming from all walks of life.
“A homeless community is not spared,” Turnbull said. “They obviously have their challenges with addiction, overdose and death, but it would not be fair to say that it’s restricted to that community. It’s younger adolescence, people who are working in many different jobs.”
He explained that he’s now trying to figure out why people get addicted to drugs because he’s tired of notifying families that they’ve lost a loved one.
