Toronto's shelter system recently saw its deadliest month on record
With nineteen deaths recorded, Toronto’s city-run shelter system saw its deadliest month on record this October.
Previously, Aug. 2021 held that record with 17 recorded fatalities. For comparison, three deaths were recorded within the shelter system in Oct. 2020.
With one month left in the year, 2021 is already the deadliest year within the city’s shelter system as well. Seventy-four deaths were recorded in 2020, while 115 individuals have already lost their lives in city shelters this year.
Despite rising COVID-19 cases and the emergence of the new Omicron variant sparking concern amongst experts and officials, the City of Toronto confirmed to CTV News Toronto that, of the nineteen deaths, none were due to the COVID-19 virus.
Instead, the city says the increase of fatalities is “due to the overdose emergency and opioid poisoning crisis that continues to be an urgent public health issue in Toronto and across Ontario.”
On Dec. 3, the city issued a release stating that, in the days prior, Toronto paramedics experienced the highest number of daily calls for overdoses since monitoring of this data began in 2017.
From Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, the city says that paramedics responded to 108 suspected opioid overdose calls. Of the 108 calls, three overdoses turned out to be fatal.
“This is the highest daily number of calls reported by paramedics since monitoring of this data began in 2017,” the release said.
According to data released by the city, there were 531 confirmed drug overdose deaths in Toronto in 2020, marking an 81 per cent increase compared to 2019.
When reached for comment, the City of Toronto said that it’s working in conjunction with Toronto Public Health to address the increase in opioid-related fatalities.
“The city's Shelter, Support and Housing Administration Division (SSHA) continues to work with Toronto Public Health and community agencies to address opioid-related deaths in Toronto's shelter system through the Integrated Prevention and Harm Reduction Initiative (iPHARE),” city spokesperson Erin Whitton said.
“Staff are also working with each shelter to ensure harm reduction services are offered to all clients, in line with the recent directive.”
‘LISTEN TO THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE’
Lorraine Lam has been working as an outreach worker at Sanctuary Toronto for a decade.
She says that, while the opioid crisis has been a long-standing issue in the province and across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen more people using drugs in isolation.
“The number one thing that we tell everybody is [to not] use alone because that's just dangerous,” Lam told CTV News Toronto on Monday.
While Lam did not personally deal with an increase in fatalities at Sanctuary in Oct., she says the organization did observe an increase in overdoses.
“I would say that we're definitely responding to a lot more overdoses and we're aware of more and more bad batches circulating,” she said.
Lam said that it’s important to note that the opioid crisis is one that stretches further than city-run shelters.
“There are lots of people who are drug users who are middle class, who are privileged,” she said. “The overdose crisis does not discriminate.”
When asked what the city can do to tangibly support drug users, Lam’s answer is simple: “Listen to those with lived experience.”
“It's very frustrating that policymakers and people who are instituting rules are not actually listening to the expertise,” she said.
That expertise, Lam says, points to the need for more safe supply sites and overdose prevention sites.
She also highlighted a need to decriminalize drug use in Toronto, as current policy “drives a lot of [drug users] into unsafe spaces.”
Last week, Toronto Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Eileen de Villa, drafted a recommendation that possession of small quantities of illegal drugs should be decriminalized within the city’s geographical boundaries.
On Monday, Toronto's board of health voted unanimously to move forward with the recommendation and subsequent decriminalization of the possession of small amounts of illegal drugs. The potential policy now awaits federal approval.
As far as what the average Torontonian can do, Lam says the crisis is largely past the point of things like donations or fundraisers.
“We're entering a season of provincial and municipal elections,” she said. “I think we need to hold our policymakers accountable for the decisions that they make that actively kill people.”
“In the meantime, I think it's really important that people who live in a [shelter] neighborhood are vocal about their support for these spaces and vocal about the need for these spaces to adhere to the wisdom of people living in them.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
What Canadians think of the latest Liberal budget
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it's too late
Christine Roess is a retired consultant. Ezra Bozeman has spent the last 49 years in prison, serving a life sentence for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Against the odds, the two fell in love.