As outlined in previous AMO reports on the opioid overdose emergency and the need for an integrated approach to mental health and addictions, the root causes of the opioid crisis are multi-faceted and compounded by decades of provincial failure to adequately invest in social systems that support income security, provide deeply affordable housing, and prevent or address mental health and addictions. [...] AMO | The Opioid Crisis 3 Municipalities are on the Frontlines of Responding to the Opioid Crisis As the order of government closest to people, municipalities are responsible for delivering public health programs; providing emergency services and tools for community safety; responding to the homelessness crisis; and funding, maintaining, and expanding deeply affordable housing. [...] Five of the top 10 communities with the highest rate of opioid-related deaths in 2023 are located in northern Ontario.6 In addition to the human toll, the opioid crisis has had real impacts on local economies and quality of life that municipalities are not equipped to manage alone. [...] For example, the Icelandic Prevention Model involves the collaboration of stakeholders that are in the immediate vicinity of children and young people who are mobilized make societal changes that can increase the likelihood that young people will use their time in a positive, constructive way.13 The CHAMPS model (CHildren AMplified AMO | The Opioid Crisis 5 Prevention Services) from the United Nat. [...] Municipalities have been on the front lines of responding to the opioid crisis but need the province to come to the table, move past divisive political rhetoric, and take concrete action to support Ontario’s residents and communities.
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Table of Contents
- July 2 2024 1
- Introduction 2
- 60 percent of people who died from opioid toxicity were employed 3
- The impacts of opioid-related deaths are worse for urban Indigenous people 88 percent of Indigenous people in Ontario. 3
- Municipalities are on the Frontlines of Responding to the Opioid Crisis 4
- A Complex Problem Requires a Multi-Faceted Solution 5
- AMO supports the City of Torontos call for a coordinated federal-provincial- municipal response to the opioid crisis based on the following evidence-based priorities 5
- Opening 247 Crisis Centres to relieve pressure on emergency departments and provide appropriate care and case management supports 5
- Expanding access to evidence-based treatment for substance use to ensure people who want to recover can receive the care they need in a timely fashion 5
- Supportive housing to address complex needs and provide a safe foundation for recovery 5
- Cross-sector collaboration featuring wrap-around social supports and referral pathways to primary care and 5
- Robust evaluation and monitoring with a pathway to permanent long-term provincial funding for healthcare services based on results. 5
- Prevention 5
- Treatment 6
- Involuntary Treatment 6
- Enforcement 7
- Harm Reduction 7
- What are supervised consumption sites 8
- Conclusion 10
- Endnotes 11
