The government says the highly addictive opioid is the reason for a rising number of deaths in Canada.
Fentanyl is increasingly leading to opioid overdose deaths in Canada, according to new government data.
The national health agency reported on Monday that nearly 50,000 people died as a result of an opioid overdose in the North American country from January 2016 to June 2024.
During this time, fentanyl was a powerful addictive drug synthetic opioid Drugs sometimes prescribed to relieve pain were responsible for 49,105 deaths.
Meanwhile, the proportion of fentanyl deaths has increased, according to the data, accounting for 79 percent of opioid deaths so far this year. That’s an increase of 39 percent since 2016.
The data was released just a few weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump moved into the White House.
Trump’s impending presidency has waned increased attention on the opioid crisis in North America, with the threat from the elected president Introduce tariffs of 25 percent on Canada and Mexico if their neighbors did not do more to stem the flow of drugs and illegal migrants into the United States.
The Canadian government last week announced a series of new border measures aimed at easing Trump’s concerns, even if the president-elect’s claims don’t entirely match the data.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that less than 20 kilograms of fentanyl were seized at the U.S.-Canada border in 2023.
Still, Canadian authorities have warned of a surge in domestic production of fentanyl in the country, with law enforcement focusing more on the chemical precursors used to make the substance.
Canada’s foreign ministry said the seizure of Canadian-made fentanyl in the United States, Australia and other countries shows that domestic production is outpacing demand and Canada has become a net exporter of fentanyl.
According to Health Canada, the overall rate of opioid overdoses has decreased compared to last year.
Health Canada says an average of 21 people have died each day from apparent opioid overdoses so far this year – an 11 per cent decline from 2023.
Still, the agency warned that the numbers were preliminary and subject to change.
“We must remain cautious when drawing conclusions about trends for 2024,” it said in a statement.
“The level of harm caused by opioids and stimulants remains very high.”
