Policy Primer: Beyond Emergency Declarations: Charting Ontario’s Course Through the Substance Use and Overdose Crisis

Policy Primer: Beyond Emergency Declarations: Charting Ontario’s Course Through the Substance Use and Overdose Crisis Policy Primer Beyond Emergency Declarations: Charting Ontario’s Course Through the Substance Use and Overdose Crisis Beyond Emergency Declarations: Charting Ontario’s Course Through the Substance Use and Overdose Crisis May 2024 Overview Several Ontario municipalities have declared. [...] In a matter of a year and a half, several Ontario municipalities, including Belleville, Hamilton, Kingston, and Niagara, have declared states of emergency due to the overdose crisis and related challenges such as mental health and homelessness. [...] Ontario Chamber of Commerce 4 Beyond Emergency Declarations: Charting Ontario’s Course Through the Substance Use and Overdose Crisis Lack of consistent data hampers direct comparison of the provincial outcomes on treatment and recovery, making it challenging to ascertain the efficacy of each strategy. [...] While stakeholders welcomed provincial commitments in the Roadmap to Wellness Plan and additional investments in Ontario’s Addictions Recovery Fund, Ontario’s strategy must better engage and reflect the concerns of businesses and local communities, who find themselves at or near the frontlines of the crisis. [...] Actions should include: 1 A review of the the operating procedures and practices of existing interventions to reduce the unintended harm that can be caused to communities, while ensuring the crisis is managed through a public health approach that prevents mortality, improves recovery outcomes, reduces stigma and respects the dignity of all people.