The overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency 9 years ago, but the Ford government still doesn’t have a strategy to confront the crisis we’re in.
Without a strategy in place, we lost 7 Ontarians to opioid poisoning each day in 2024.
The Ford goverment took away life-saving care without replacing it, and all decisions about public health need to be made with evidence and empathy. Their decisions made our communities more unsafe, and their lack of strategy is putting more people at risk.
Substance use treatment is still largely inaccessible across our province: long wait-times, discrepancies in services available depending on where you live, or inadequate treatment options.
Harm reduction and treatment work best in tandem. We need more of both, not less of either.
We need a comprehensive strategy to address the crisis that we’re in that is evidence-based, action-oriented, and compassionate.
We need clear leadership in addressing the overdose crisis that is action-oriented and accountable
Email the government demanding they take action.
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Implement an Emergency Response Task-Force to address Overdose Crisis in Ontario
- Modelled after COVID-19 Emergency Response Structure which included Command Table, Regional Planning and Implementation Tables, Scientific Table, Ethics Table, and Sector Specific Tables
- Would include a mandate to urgently address the twin crises of the homelessness and the toxic drug crisis in our communities, bringing together Health, Housing, and Social Services stakeholders
- Develop a comprehensive strategy to confront the Overdose Crisis that responds to the complexity of the crisis we’re in
- Make meaningful and evidence-based investments in substance use treatment, including standardizing the program deliverables and performance metrics for HART hubs and ensuring that they are offering services
