Deaths from drug overdoses are falling, but it’s too soon to tell if this will last

Drug overdose deaths are falling across Canada but it is too soon to determine whether it is the beginning of a lasting trend or a temporary deviation from an unrelenting crisis that has killed tens of thousands of Canadians.The full picture of accidental deaths from substance use is not yet developed for 2024, with months of data still to be released by provincial and federal governments but preliminary figures offer a glimmer of hope. Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario – provinces where the majority of fatalities take place – are seeing reductions between 7.5 and 35 per cent when compared to 2023.