“Opioid-related drug deaths in Canada declined by 23 per cent from 2024 to 2025, but remain elevated above pre-pandemic levels, according to data released by the federal government on Monday, June 15.

Across Canada, an average of 15 people per day died as a result of using opioids illegally in 2025, for a yearly total of 5,608. Deaths had spiked from 3,598 in 2019 to a pandemic-era high of 8,040 in 2023, but have been declining steadily since…

The government reports that stimulant-related deaths have also decreased year-over-year by 31 per cent. This progress is very uneven across Canada, with many regions seeing those deaths now outpacing opioid-related fatalities. This is the case in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories.”

From Red Deer Advocate.