Canada’s health minister learned more about the opioid crisis during a stop in Windsor.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor held roundtable discussions with city officials and front line workers on Wednesday. Mayor Drew Dilkens, Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed and Police Chief Al Frederick were among those at the table.
Petitpas Taylor said her visit was part of a nationwide tour to get a more street level look at the problem facing many areas of the country.
"We recognize that we need to have all hands on deck in order to effectively deal with this situation," said Petitpas Taylor. "So it is important for me as minister of health to work with all of my partners at the provincial level, at the municipal level and front line service providers."
Stats announced in June said the nearly 4,000 Canadians died from apparent opioid overdoses in 2017, an increase from about 3,000 in 2016.
The figures also show that 78 per cent of victims were male and that fentanyl or fentanyl analogues were blamed for 72 per cent of all overdose deaths.
Ontario had 1,125 deaths last year, an increase from 726 in 2016. The Ontario figure represented a death rate of 7.9 for every 100,000 people.
