Why is Canada’s illicit drug supply so deadly and what’s being done about it?

published on March 18, 2022 by Maya Lach-Aidelbaum in CBC News

Canada’s overdose crisis has worsened during the pandemic, with the number of people dying from illicit drugs soaring to new heights in many provinces.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says 2020 was the deadliest year for overdose deaths since it started recording the numbers in 2016. From January 2020 to June 2021, more than 9,800 Canadians died from an opioid overdose.

According to those who research and work with drug users, the country’s increasingly toxic drug supply is to blame.

Why is Canada’s illicit drug supply increasingly deadly?

Data suggests that the pandemic has a part to play in how toxic the supply has become. Supply volatility increased dramatically once pandemic lockdowns were declared in March 2020, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA)…