Ontario Drug Policy Research Network

10/09/2026

September data on -related deaths in from the OCC is now available.

🚨There were 207 suspect drug-related deaths reported in September 2026 in Ontario.

Data available for download at https://odprn.ca/occ-opioid-and-suspect-drug-related-death-data/

10/05/2026

Understanding how opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid-related harms affect older adults can help identify opportunities for system planning and competency building across healthcare and social service systems to help meet the demands for substance use care in this population.

This new report characterizes OUD and opioid toxicity harms among older adults in Ontario.

Learn more and access the full report at

Hamzat B, Gomes T, Yang J, White-Campbell M, Kolla G, Ledlie S, Rebić N, Famiyeh I, Shearer D, Wickens K, Cuperfain C, Leece P, Hopkins J, Hoy C, Wolfson-Stofko B, Munro C, Po***ck M on behalf of the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network. Substance Use Harms among Older Adults in Ontario: A Focus on...

10/01/2026

Among First Nations Peoples in Ontario, both buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone were effective treatment options for opioid use disorder (OUD), with buprenorphine/naloxone associated with fewer opioid toxicity events and more take-home doses, while methadone was associated with longer treatment retention. These findings highlight the importance of equitable access to both treatment options.

Learn more at https://odprn.ca/research/publications/2026-09-oat-outcomes-among-first-nation-peoples/

Chiefs of Ontario
Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)
Unity Health Toronto

09/30/2026

On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we at the ODPRN honour the Survivors of residential schools, the children who never returned home, and their families and communities. We believe that reconciliation extends far beyond any single initiative or research project. It requires ongoing learning, listening, relationship-building, and meaningful action to address the inequities and harms experienced by First Nations Peoples.

As a research network, the ODPRN is continuing to learn about the role that non-Indigenous researchers and organizations can play in advancing reconciliation. This includes building respectful learning partnerships with First Nations communities and organizations, listening to their priorities, and considering how our work can support community-led efforts.

Our partnership with the Chiefs of Ontario examines opioid-related harms and access to care among First Nations Peoples in Ontario, guided by priorities identified by First Nations across the province. In keeping with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, this work aims to support the reporting of information that can help close gaps in health outcomes, and to strengthen First Nations-led healing, health services, and community programs.

One tangible step we have taken is a recently launched initiative offering First Nations communities tailored reports on opioid-related indicators for their local community to support access to information that can inform regional priorities. Learn more or request a report here: https://www.ices.on.ca/indigenous/first-nations-community-specific-reports-on-the-opioid-crisis/

Reconciliation is ongoing work, and we are grateful to the Chiefs of Ontario and the First Nations communities whose leadership guides this research. We remain committed to continuing to listen, learn, and take meaningful action in response to the Calls to Action through our research work.

09/29/2026

NEW ODPRN study described trends in the composition of law enforcement seizures of opioid-containing pills across Canada.

Findings revealed substantial fluctuations in the amount of counterfeit fentanyl pills seized, highlighting the unpredictable nature of Canada’s unregulated drug supply across provinces and over time.

Learn more at https://odprn.ca/research/publications/2026-09-trends-in-opioid-containing-pills-seized/

09/28/2026

The number of older adults living with opioid use disorder (OUD) in Ontario has more than doubled since 2017, according to a new report from the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN), a research group at St. Michael's Hospital.

Tara Gomes, scientist at St. Michael's Hospital and ICES, and a professor at the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, and Bisola Hamzat, senior epidemiologist at St. Michael’s Hospital, authored the report with the ODPRN team and community collaborators.

By the end of 2025, roughly 15,000 Ontarians aged 55 and up had engaged with the healthcare system around OUD. In 2023 and 2024, 1,087 older adults died of an opioid toxicity, the equivalent of 10 a week.

The findings point to a population that the health system isn't yet built to reach, and one that’s growing quickly. Most opioid-related deaths involved the unregulated drug supply, happened at home, often when someone was alone, and over a third who died had a documented OUD in the previous five years.

Read more on the report here: https://unityhealth.to/2026/09/older-adults-living-with-opioid-use-disorder-in-ontario-doubles-over-eight-years/?&utm_source=FB&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=260923-opioid-use-disorder

09/23/2026

NEW ODPRN report examines opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid toxicity harms among older adults (aged 55+) in Ontario, Canada. Findings show a growing opioid crisis among older adults, with rising trends seen across OUD diagnoses, opioid-related hospital visits, and opioid toxicity death in this age group.

Learn more at https://odprn.ca/research/publications/2026-09-substance-use-harms-among-older-adults/

Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)
Unity Health Toronto

09/17/2026

NEW ODPRN study found that between January 2018 and June 2022, 782 Ontarians died of benzodiazepine-related toxicity. Of these deaths, 98.1% involved another substance, 1/5 had experienced a hospital-treated substance toxicity in the year prior to death, and nearly 2/3 had a healthcare encounter with a substance use disorder diagnosis in the five years prior to death.

Learn more at

* Small differences in numbers may arise between the report and published paper due to updates in data or variations in analysis methods.

09/15/2026

📣 Upcoming Webinar: Opioid-related harms among older adults in Ontario

📅 Sep 24, 2026 1:00 pm ET

The ODPRN and CATIE will be presenting key findings from an upcoming report examining opioid use disorder and opioid toxicity harms among older adults in Ontario. Presenters will discuss the circumstances surrounding opioid toxicity deaths and what the findings mean for policy, health system planning and the evolving care and support needs of an aging population.

Register today at

Background information on HIV, hepatitis C and STIs in Canada, including basic information, statistics (epidemiology), provincial and national strategies to address HIV, hepatitis C and STIs, and social determinants of health.

09/09/2026

The ODPRN is now accepting applications for our 2027 Drug Policy Student Research Training Program!

Trainees involved in this one-year collaborative program will work towards obtaining a drug policy training research certificate through the ODPRN. Trainees will have access to online training and networking opportunities with scientific academic researchers and ministry representatives. There is no cost to participate in this program. To learn more about the program and apply, visit: https://odprn.ca/student-training-program/