This report shows that opioid-related deaths for First Nations people in Ontario tripled
between 2019 and 2022. In 2023, First Nations people in Ontario were 10 times more
likely to visit a hospital for opioid-related toxicity than non-First Nations people. Those
First Nations people living outside of their communities were twice as likely as those
living within community to visit a hospital for opioid-related toxicity.
The report cites “the urgent need for access to opioid treatment and harm reduction
services, which are an essential healing path for some First Nations people pained by
systemic racism and intergenerational trauma”. It calls for provincial and federal
governments to collaborate with First Nations to create a comprehensive strategy that
shifts focus from punitive measures towards culturally sensitive and spiritually informed
supports to address mental health and substance use challenges.
Published By: The Chiefs of Ontario and The Ontario Drug Policy Research Network
Publication Date: June, 2025
Click here to access Opioid Use, Related Harms, and Access to Treatment Among First
Nations in Ontario – Annual Update 2013 – 2023
