Local and Regional Opioid Crisis: Sounding the alarm (Motion #14-21)

Moved by M. Signoretti – C. Thain

Approved by Board of Health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts, May 20, 2021

WHEREAS Canada has been affected by the opioid crisis since 2016 with an escalation of this crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic and a total of over 19 000 apparent opioid-related deaths reported nationally from January 2016 to September 2020; and

WHEREAS in the recently released statistics on opioid-related deaths for 2020 in Ontario, the top five health units with the highest reported death rates per 100,000 population are all in northern Ontario and four of these health units are among the five health units in northeastern Ontario—with Public Health Sudbury & Districts having the highest opioid-related death rate for 2020 in the province; and

WHEREAS in 2020, 105 people in the City of Greater Sudbury and the districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin died from an opioid-related overdose as compared with 56 people in 2019 (87.5% increase), equating to a rate of 52.4 and 28 per 100,000 for 2020 and 2019, respectively (Ontario rates: 16.4 and 10.4); and

WHEREAS the Ontario Public Health Standards require boards of health to collaborate with local partners in health and other sectors to develop programs and services that address varying substance use patterns in order to reduce the burdens associated with substance use; and

WHEREAS under the leadership of the Community Drug Strategy, community risk mitigation strategies have been developed under the four pillars of prevention, harm reduction, treatment and enforcement, with each pillar being led by community agencies and members including persons with lived experience; and

WHEREAS in recognition of the growing opioid crisis and the need to plan proactively for safe spaces to use drugs and prevent deaths, the harm reduction pillar completed the extensive Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study as required for federal and provincial applications to establish such spaces, the submissions of which have been held up by our inability to secure a space location in Sudbury; and

WHEREAS recent tragic death statistics are a resounding alarm for the need for all parties to double down on efforts currently underway and to explore innovative approaches—addressing immediate, medium- and long-term issues—to save lives, prevent opioid use, and end stigma;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board of Health affirm that the local opioid situation is a deepening crisis and direct the Medical Officer of Health to intensify local work with partners to explore all options to address immediate, medium- and long-term opioid-related issues; and

FURTHER THAT the Board direct the Medical Officer of Health to explore a north or northeast regional coalition of public health, relevant community agencies, and others as appropriate, in order to amplify regional concerns and investigate potential strategies and resources; and

FURTHER THAT the Board continue to receive timely status updates on opioid impacts and approaches.

UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED

This item was last modified on May 27, 2021