Opioids spark emergency health meeting to address addiction

Nov 18, 2016 | News

By Sargon Jajjo

Provincial and federal health ministers met in Ottawa on Friday urging government to react to the rising and fatal use of opioids in Canada.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, 13 people a day are hospitalized in Canada as a result of an opioid overdose.

Federal Health Minister, Jane Phillpot has acknowledged the crisis opioids are representing to Canadians.

Philpott noted the country needs to collect data quicker on opioids to help come up with a solution.

She acknowledged that the recent media coverage has brought more attention to Canadians on the recent rise of opioids.

Philpott specifically pointed to Vice’s documentary “Dopesick” as a positive documentary to raise awareness.

 

Don Davies, an NDP MP, released a statement asking the government to immediately address Canada’s fatal addiction.

“Today, New Democrats are calling on the federal government to declare Canada’s opioid overdose crisis a national public health emergency,” said Davies.

Davies pointed towards the increasing rate of fatalities all over the country.

“In 2015, an estimated 2000 Canadians died from opioid overdoses and many provinces are seeing an even higher number of fatalities in 2016.”

A popular opioid being found in the streets at the moment is the drug Fentanyl.

Earlier this week, three bodies were discovered inside a Winnipeg home where Fentanyl overdose is expected to be the cause of death.

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Files from: https://knowyoursource.ca/questions-about-fentanyl/

http://www.narconon.ca/drug-abuse/fentanyl-signs-symptoms.html

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