Fentanyl detected in Toronto’s sewer system more than triples in pandemic, federal survey finds
The amount of fentanyl detected in Toronto’s wastewater supply has tripled during the COVID-19 pandemic as use of other drugs also rose substantially, according to a government survey of sewage in several major Canadian cities.
Government scientists analyzed what people in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver were putting down the drains to get a show of how the increase in drug consumption was nationwide, which could be a factor in the surge of deaths related to the toxic opioid drug supply.
“If you compare it to Olympic athletes, it’s like a urine test, but at a population level,” said Professor Viviane Yargeau at McGill University.
The biggest increase was in Toronto, which saw a 207 per cent increase in fentanyl detected when comparing tests between March and July of 2020 to the same period the year before. Methamphetamines detected in the city’s sewers jumped 48 per cent, while Cannabis jumped 27 per cent.
Edmonton also saw detectable fentanyl surge by 108 per cent, and Vancouver’s fentanyl also jumped 66 per cent.
The Canadian Wastewater Survey showed that different cities appeared to prefer different drugs. Cannabis was highest in Halifax at 742 grams per million people per day.
Methamphetamines were highest in Edmonton at 1,244 grams per million people per day, and fentanyl was highest in Vancouver, at 20 grams per million people per day, a province where opioid deaths have prompted it to declare a state of emergency.
“During a crisis, because there’s anxiety, everyone is having anxiety issues, and so all of the issues that we’re going through, people with drugs are going through,” said Michelle Joseph, the CEO of Unison Health and Community Services.
But with a toxic drug supply, deaths are up too, by 78 per cent to 521 in Toronto. On top of that, the public health advice that has been to stay home during the pandemic has meant higher mortality because more drug users are using alone and don’t have anyone to prevent an overdose using naloxone.
Harm reduction outreach worker Wayne Duhaney says he makes harm reduction kits with needles, sterile water, tourniquets and other items to prevent disease spreading. Unison Health also has a supply of naloxone it gives to users in the hopes they can use it to counteract an overdose while at home.
“It might be a statistic but I know their names. I grew up with them. It definitely hurts,” Duhaney told CTV News Toronto.
Staff say the kits are not substitute for a supervised injection site, where a nurse can watch a drug user inject and revive them in an emergency, preventing their death. The service is available in Toronto, but as much as an hour away by transit from Unison’s community, at Lawrence and Avenue Roads.
The centre is applying for a federal exemption to run its own supervised injection site, but faces funding barriers and the issue that the number of supervised injection sites in Ontario remains capped at 21.
“We would really like in Northwest Toronto to have a much wider spectrum of harm reduction, and right now we are extremely limited,” Joseph said.
Ontario’s health minister says the government has put $32.7 million into addiction treatment to help people recover post pandemic.
“Unfortunately these fatalities are increasing so investing more in mental health is equally as important and we are taking action on both,” she told reporters Wednesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.