Newsroom : Ontario Providing Support to Those Affected by Opioid Crisis
Ontario is providing urgent relief to those affected by the opioid crisis, including adding more front-line harm-reduction workers, expanding the supply of naloxone, and creating new rapid access addiction clinics in every region of the province.
Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, and Dr. David Williams, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, were at St. Michael's Hospital today to announce that the province is investing more than $222 million over three years to enhance Ontario's Strategy to Prevent Opioid Addiction and Overdose. These new investments, which build on previous commitments and will help ensure people with opioid addictions have access to holistic supports that address the full spectrum of needs, include:
“The devastating impact of opioid use disorder and overdose has reached every community in Ontario, and crosses all demographics. Our government has been working closely with partners across the province to combat this urgent issue for more than a year, and we are continuing to strengthen our strategy and increase harm reduction, addiction treatment and other supports. It is through this collaborative, evidence-based and comprehensive approach that we will be able to effectively address this crisis and save lives.”
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
“We are updating and expanding our strategy as the opioid crisis evolves. By providing local communities with the tools they need, we are equipping them to help each and every Ontarian in a personalized and informed way. Short-term solutions are not enough — we are committed to this journey for the long-term.”
Dr. David Williams
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health
“Addictions treatment is not a one-stop shop; it's a combination of providing the proper medical, pharmacological and psychosocial support for all patients. The multidisciplinary addictions services team at St. Michael's Hospital is able to provide this support through our emergency department, our family health team and our rapid access clinic. This increased focus on and support for addictions treatment, including in primary care settings, is a step in the right direction in order to better address the burden of opioid addiction on emergency departments, and will help us continue to treat addictions across all our clinics and sites.”
Dr. Douglas Sinclair
Chief Medical Officer and Site Lead, St. Michael’s Hospital