Canada records nearly 50,000 deaths due to fentanyl since 2016 | Drug News

The Canadian government says highly addictive opioids are to blame for a growing number of deaths in Canada.

Fentanyl is increasingly behind opioid overdose deaths in Canada, according to new government data.

Nearly 50,000 people in the North American country died from opioid overdoses from January 2016 to June 2024, the National Health Agency reported Monday.

During that period, fentanyl, a highly addictive substance Synthetic opioids Sometimes, which is prescribed for pain relief, it has caused 49,105 deaths.

Meanwhile, deaths due to fentanyl have risen, according to the data, accounting for 79 percent of opioid deaths so far this year. This represents a 39 percent increase since 2016.

The data was released just weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump entered the White House.

It charted the impending Trump presidency Increased interest to the opioid crisis in North America, with the president-elect threatening to do so Imposing customs duties of 25% Canada and Mexico will have to do so if the neighboring countries do not do more to stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants crossing the border into the United States.

Last week, the Canadian government announced a raft of new border measures aimed at allaying Trump’s concerns, even if the president-elect’s claims don’t exactly match the data.

US Customs and Border Protection reported that less than 20 kilograms of fentanyl were seized at the US-Canadian border in 2023.

However, Canadian authorities have warned of increased domestic production of fentanyl in the country, with law enforcement focusing more on the chemical precursor used to make the substance.

Canada’s Foreign Ministry said seizures of Canadian-made fentanyl in the United States, Australia and other countries indicate that domestic production is exceeding demand and that Canada has become a net exporter of fentanyl.

The overall rate of opioid overdoses is down compared to last year, according to Health Canada.

Health Canada said an average of 21 people are dying each day from opioid overdoses so far this year — an 11 per cent decrease from 2023.

However, the agency cautioned that the numbers are preliminary and subject to change.

“We must remain cautious in drawing conclusions about trends for 2024,” she said in a statement.

“The extent of opioid and stimulant-related harm remains very high.”