The “Find Your Way Community Resource Guide” provides both practitioners and service recipients contact information for organizations such as drug treatment centres, crisis lines, shelters, locations to pick up safer injection and inhalation supplies, as well as information on other community agencies.
For additional support, visit the Mental Health and Substance Use Health Services and Resources webpage.
| Shelters |
| Men: |
|
The Ottawa Mission
35 Waller St., 613-234-1144
The Salvation Army
171 George St., 613-241-1573
Shepherds of Good Hope
230 Murray St.,613-241-6494
YSB Young Men's Emergency Shelter
613-907-8975
|
| Women: |
| The Ottawa Mission
35 Waller St., 613-234-1144
The Salvation Army
171 George St., 613-241-1573
Shepherds of Good Hope
230 Murray St.,613-241-6494
YSB Young Men's Emergency Shelter
613-907-8975
|
| Women Fleeing Abuse: |
| Nelson House
613-225-3129
Interval House
613-234-5181
Maison D'Amitié
613-747-0020
La Présence
613-241-8297
|
| Men & Women: |
| YMCA/YWCA
180 Argyle Ave., 613-237-1320
|
| Family: |
| Carling Family Shelter
613-580-9610
|
|
| Needle Exchange & Safer Inhalation Equipment Locations |
| AIDS Committee of Ottawa
19 Main St., 613-238-5014
Carlington Community Health Centre
900 Merivale Rd., 613-722-4000 ext.260
Centre 454 (needles only)
454 King Edward., 613-235-4351
Centre 507
507 Bank St., 613-233-5626
Centretown Community Health Centre
420 Cooper St., 613-233-4443 ext.2208
Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa
302-211 Bronson Ave., 613-237-7427 ext. 153
Ontario Addictions Treatment Centres
401 Somerset St. West 613-233-1114
1318 Carling Ave. 613-627-0856
263 Montreal Rd. 613-749-9666
Freedom House
265 Montreal Rd. 613-695-6100
Operation Come Home
150 Gloucester Street., 613-230-4663
24hr: 1-800-668-4663
Sandy Hill Community Health Centre/Oasis
221 Nelson St., 613-569-3488 ext. 2101
Shepherds of Good Hope (needles only)
230 Murray St, 2nd Floor 613-241-6494
Site Office, Sexual Health Centre
179 Clarence St
Site Van
613-232-3232 *Collect Calls Accepted
South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre
1355 Bank St. Suite 600 613-737-5115
S.T.O.R.M. Van (Aboriginal Women)
613-265-7558
Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre
1365 Richmond Rd. 2nd Floor 613-820-2001
Somerset West Community Health Centre
N.E.S.I. Room
55 Eccles St., 613-238-8210 ext. 2246
N.E.S.I. Van, Somerset West CHC
613-761-0003
Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa
147 Besserer St., 613-241-7788 ext.300
Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health
299 Montreal Rd., 613-748-5999
|
| Drug Information and Treatment |
| Information |
| Mental Health Helpline (Ontario)
1-866-531-2600
Drug and Alcohol Helpline (Ontario)
1-800-565-8603
|
| Detox |
| Ottawa Withdrawal Management Centre
1777 Montreal Road., 613-241-1525
|
| Support Services and Treatment |
| O.A.A.R.S. Ottawa Addictions Access and Referral Services
613-241-5202
Addiction Services, The Ottawa Mission
35 Waller St., 613-234-1144
T.E.S.P Transitional Emergency Shelter Program, Shepherds of Good Hope
256 King Edward Ave., 613-688-2929 x349
Managed Alcohol Program
256 King Edward Ave., 613-688-2929 x336
The Oaks, Shepherds of Good Hope
1053-1057 Merivale Rd., 613-288-0374
Alcoholics Anonymous Hotline
613-237-6000
Narcotics Anonymous Hotline
Free:1-888-811-3887
Addiction and Mental Health Services
Sandy Hill Community Health Centre
221 Nelson St., 613-789-8941
Acu-detox (Oasis)
Sandy Hill Community Health Centre
221 Nelson St., 613-569-3488
Amythyst Women's Addiction Centre
488 Wilbrod St., 613-563-0363
Youth Services Bureau - Downtown Drop In
147 Besserer St., 613-241-7788 ext 300 or 400
Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre
112 Willowlea Road, Carp, 613-594-8333
Royal Ottawa Hospital
1145 Carling Ave.
Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders
613-722-6521 ext.6158
Regional Opioid Intervention Service
613-722-6521 ext.6224
Canadian Mental Health Association
1355 Bank Street Suite 301 613-737-7791
Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services
312 Parkdale Ave., 613-724-4881
Serenity Renewal for Families
202-2255 St. Laurent Blvd., 613-523-5143
SMART Recovery
613-789-8941
|
| Residential Treatment Facilities |
| Men |
| Anchorage, The Salvation Army
175 George St., 613-241-1573 ext. 308/326
Serenity House
103 Leopolds Dr., 613-733-3663
Harvest House
3435 Ramsayville Rd., 613-521-9114
Sobriety House
90 First Ave., 613-233-0828
|
| Women |
| Empathy House
360 Sunnyside Ave., 613-730-7319
Vesta Recovery Program For Women
101 James St., 613-233-0353
|
| Other |
| Maison Fraternité
(French Services) 242 Cantin St., 613-741-2523
|
|
|
| Methadone Services |
| Oasis, Sandy Hill Community Health Centre
221 Nelson St., 613-569-3488
Methadone Case Manager,
Oasis Sandy Hill Community Health Centre
613-569-3488 ext.2106
Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres
401 Somerset St West., 613-233-1114
263 Montreal Rd., 613-749-9666
1318 Carling Ave., 613-627-0856
Recovery Ottawa
11 Selkirk St., 613-680-7444
|
| Drop-In Centres / Day Programs |
| Centre 507
507 Bank St., 613-233-5626
Centre 454
454 King Edward., 613-235-4351
St. Luke's Table
760 Somerset St West., 613-238-4193
Capital City Mission
521 Rideau St., 613-241-2407
The Well (Women)
154 Somerset St West., 613-594-8861
Operation Come Home
150 Gloucester., 613-230-4663
or 1-800-668-4663
Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa
147 Besserer St., 613-241-7788
Youth Harm Reduction Drop In (YSB)
147 Besserer St., 613-241-7788
St. Joe's Women's Centre
151 Laurier Ave East., 613-231-6722
Minwaashin Lodge Aboriginal
Women's Support Centre
100-1155 Lola St., 613-741-5590
Shawenjeagamik Drop-In Centre
510 Rideau St., 613-789-3077
Wabano Centre for Aboriginal
Health
299 Montreal Rd., 613-748-5999
Sophie's HOPE (Women)
145, rue Murray., 613-789-5119
DUAL
216 Murray St., 613-788-2972
Oasis, Sandy Hill Community Health Centre
221 Nelson St., 613-569-3488
The Living Room
ACO, AIDS Committee of Ottawa
19 Main St., 613-563-0851
|
| Crisis Lines / Crisis Services |
| Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre
613-562-2333
Sexual Assault Support Centre (24 hours)
613-234-2266
Ottawa Hospital Mobile Crisis Team (Van)
613-722-6914
Distress Centre (24 hours)
613-238-3311
Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa
24/7 Crisis Line : 1-877-377-7775
Ottawa Victim Services
600-250 City Centre Ave., 613-238-2762
|
| Sexual Health, Pregnancy and Birth Control |
| Sexual Health Centre
179 Clarence St., 613-234-4641 (reception)
Planned Parenthood
222 Somerset st W., unit 404 613-226-3234
YSB Youth Health Clinic
147 Besserer St., 613-241-7913 ext. 222
AIDS/Sexual Health Info Line
1-800-668-2437
Gay Zone
Due to the current situation around COVID-19, the Gay ZONE clinic has temporarily moved to 179 Clarence St. Please call 613-234-4641 to book an appointment.
420 Cooper - Thursdays evenings 5 to 8pm
|
| HIV/AIDS |
| AIDS Committee of Ottawa
19 Main St., 613-238-5014
Bruce House
402-251 Bank St., 613-729-0911
The Living Room,
AIDS Committee of Ottawa
19 Main St., 613-563-0851
Oasis, Sandy Hill Community
Health Centre
221 Nelson St., 613-569-3488
Bureau Régional d'Action
SIDA (BRAS)(French Services)
109 Wright St, Hull, Québec., 819-776-2727
|
| Other Services |
|
Salvation Army Van
613-580-2626 or 311
Telehealth Ontario
1-866-797-0000
Ottawa Police Service
613-236-1222
Housing Help
502-309 Cooper St., 613-563-4532
Gignul Housing Inc (Aboriginal Services)
396 MacLaren St., 613-232-0016
The Food Bank
1317 Michael St., 613-745-7001
University of Ottawa
KIND-a space for LGBTTQ+
222 Somerset St. W. #404 613-563-4818
Community Legal Clinic
17 Copernicus St., 613-562-5600
Legal Aid of Ontario
73 Albert St., 613-238-7931
Mission Primary Care
35 Waller St., 613-288-0460
Mission Dental Clinic
35 Waller St., 613-234-1144 ext. 314
Men & Healing
35 Beechwood Ave. 3rd Floor,613-482-9363
Odawa Native Friendship Centre
250 City Centre Ave., 613-722-3811
Ottawa Public Health Info Line
613-580-6744
Dental Health Services
613-580-6744 ext 23510
HALCO - HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario
1-888-705-8889
|
|
Drug use may result in acute effects such as overdose (poisoning) or mental and behavioural effects (e.g., the “bad trip” or withdrawal). Chronic use may cause other adverse health consequences.
This section discusses the use of, and resulting acute morbidity and mortality from, drugs other than cannabis, alcohol and tobacco. For additional information on drugs please refer to Ottawa Public Health's Stop Overdose webpage. Information on cannabis, alcohol and tobacco use in Ottawa can be accessed on the following Ottawa Public Health data pages:
For the most recent Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Report 2021, visit the Mental Health and Well-Being webpage.
Opioid Overdose Data
| Opioid Overdose Emergency Department Visit Count by Month (Updated Monthly) |
Figure 1. Opioid overdose emergency department visit count by month in Ottawa, 2020 to 2023
| Data notes |
|---|
|
National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), Canadian Institute for Health (CIHI)
- This data is specific to opioids and so counts will be lower than counts of suspected overdose related emergency department visits.
- Opioid overdose visits include unscheduled emergency department visits where opioid poisoning was recorded as the main or other problem. Unconfirmed diagnoses are excluded.
- Counts include all patients with an opioid overdose who are seen at Ottawa hospital emergency departments regardless of the patient's place of residence. Patients who reside outside of Ottawa and are seen at Ottawa hospitals are included.
- Counts include all overdoses, regardless of the intent of the person who overdosed.
- Cases include all ages and all levels of severity.
- Counts are preliminary and may change over time as data is updated.
- This data is not specific to the type of opioid (e.g. heroin or fentanyl) or the circumstances of its use (therapeutic, recreational etc.).
- Monthly counts of less than 5 will be suppressed for privacy purposes.
- View data below or on OpenData Ottawa.
|
| Data Tables for Figure 1 |
|
2023 Opioid overdose emergency department visit count by month, Ottawa
| Month 2023 | Total ED visits for opioid overdose |
|---|
| January |
84 |
| February |
94 |
| March |
101 |
| April |
123 |
| May |
135 |
| June |
107 |
| July |
135 |
| August |
96 |
| September |
|
| October |
|
| November |
|
| December |
|
2022 Opioid overdose emergency department visit count by month, Ottawa data table
| Month 2022 | Total ED visits for opioid overdose |
|---|
| January |
48 |
| February |
63 |
| March |
93 |
| April |
65 |
| May |
88 |
| June |
72 |
| July |
98 |
| August |
76 |
| September |
76 |
| October |
64 |
| November |
60 |
| December |
63
|
2021 Opioid overdose emergency department visit count by month, Ottawa data table
| Month 2021 | Total ED visits for opioid overdose |
|---|
| January |
74 |
| February |
63 |
| March |
86 |
| April |
86 |
| May |
112 |
| June |
89 |
| July |
77 |
| August |
106 |
| September |
67 |
| October |
98 |
| November |
78 |
| December |
88 |
Opioid overdose emergency department visit count by month in 2020, Ottawa data table
| Month (2020) |
Total ED visits for opioid overdose |
| January |
21 |
| February |
54 |
| March |
64 |
| April |
65 |
| May |
60 |
| June |
63 |
| July |
82 |
| August |
120 |
| September |
90 |
| October |
82 |
| November |
43 |
| December |
72 |
Opioid overdose emergency department visit count by month in 2019, Ottawa data table
|
Month (2019)
|
Total ED visits for opioid overdose
|
|---|
| January |
33 |
| February |
35 |
| March |
34 |
| April |
58 |
| May |
58 |
| June |
52 |
| July |
44 |
| August |
33 |
| September |
27 |
| October |
31 |
| November |
46 |
| December |
36 |
Opioid overdose emergency department visit count by month in 2018, Ottawa data table
|
Month (2018)
|
Total ED visits for opioid overdose
|
|---|
|
January
|
28
|
|
February
|
30
|
|
March
|
29
|
|
April
|
23
|
|
May
|
33
|
|
June
|
38
|
|
July
|
48
|
|
August
|
46
|
|
September
|
50
|
| October |
43 |
| November |
53 |
| December |
51 |
Opioid overdose emergency department visit count by month in 2017, Ottawa data table
|
Month (2017)
|
Total ED visits for opioid overdose
|
|---|
|
April
|
38
|
|
May
|
24
|
|
June
|
37
|
|
July
|
50
|
|
Aug
|
48
|
|
Sep
|
41
|
|
Oct
|
33
|
|
Nov
|
27
|
|
Dec
|
29
|
|
|
Opioid Overdose Related Deaths
|
Opioid overdose deaths in Ottawa by calendar quarter
| Data notes |
- Opioid-related deaths are defined as an acute intoxication/toxicity death resulting from the direct effects of the administration of exogenous substance(s) where one or more of the substances is an opioid, regardless of how the opioid was obtained. This excludes deaths due to chronic substance use, medical assistance in dying, trauma where an intoxicant contributed to the circumstances of the injury and deaths classified as homicide.
- Reports only include confirmed opioid-related deaths for which death investigation results have indicated an opioid directly contributed to the cause of death
- Deaths have been assigned to public health unit based on six-digit postal code of the residence of the decedent. If residence postal code was unavailable, the postal code of the incident location was used. If postal code of the incident location was unavailable, the postal code of the death location was used.
- Data for 2017 - Q2 includes only two months of data (May and June). All other quarters include three months of data.
- Data source: Coroner's Opioid Investigative Aid, Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario, extracted August 14, 2023.
|
Opioid overdose related deaths in Ottawa data table
| Year and calendar quarter | Number of opioid overdose related deaths |
|---|
| 2017 - Q2 |
13 |
| 2017 - Q3 |
18 |
| 2017 - Q4 |
28 |
| 2018 - Q1 |
14 |
| 2018 - Q2 |
14 |
| 2018 - Q3 |
23 |
| 2018 - Q4 |
31 |
| 2019 - Q1 |
20 |
| 2019 - Q2 |
19 |
| 2019 - Q3 |
11 |
| 2019 - Q4 |
15 |
| 2020 - Q1 |
18 |
| 2020 - Q2 |
31 |
| 2020 - Q3 |
38 |
| 2020 - Q4 |
37 |
| 2021 - Q1 |
37 |
| 2021 - Q2 |
45
|
| 2021 - Q3 |
30
|
| 2021 - Q4 |
32
|
| 2022 - Q1 |
35
|
| 2022 - Q2 |
34
|
| 2022 - Q3 |
51
|
| 2022 - Q4 |
25
|
| 2023 - Q1 |
49
|
|
Drug Use and Health Impacts Data - Archived data
Drug use can result in poisonings (overdoses) or mental health related emergency department visits, hospitalizations or deaths. Opioids, in particular, have received a great deal of attention in the last few years as the effects of their use become more evident.
Due to the demands of COVID-19, this data has not been updated. We look forward to updating it in the near future.
| Self-Reported Drug Use Among Ottawa Adults |
- An estimated 3% of the Ottawa population aged 19 and over reported using an illicit drug other than cannabis in the past year. [1] This is not different from Ontario-less-Ottawa. Estimates cannot be made for individual drugs because of small counts. Self reports likely underestimate drug use due to the stigmatic and illegal nature of many of these drugs.
|
| Self-Reported Substance Use Among Ottawa Youth in the Past Year |
|
In Ottawa:
- Approximately 10% of students in Grades 7 to 12 use cough and cold medicine, opioids or other illicit substances. This is less common that alcohol or cannabis (Figure 2).
- More than 6,100 (14%) Grade 9 to 12 students used prescription medication (e.g., opioids, tranquilizers, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications) non-medically. This is not different from Ontario-less-Ottawa. Non-medical opioid use was reported by approximately 4,800 (11%) Grade 9 to 12 students. [2]
- About one in ten (9%) Grade 9 to 12 students reported using a substance other than alcohol, cannabis, prescription, or over-the-counter (OTC) medication (e.g., hallucinogens, cocaine, or ecstasy). [2]
Figure 2. Reported use of selected substances by Ottawa students in the past year, 2017
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 2 |
|
Ottawa Public Health. Public Health Monitoring of Risk Factors in Ontario – Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey 2017. Centre for Addictions and Mental Health
- The 2017 OSDUHS data used in this section are from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and administered by the Institute for Social Research, York University. Its contents and interpretation are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
- The Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) is the longest ongoing biennial school survey in Canada, and the only province-wide survey of this population. The 2017 statistics are based on a random representative sample of over 1,400 Ottawa students enrolled in any of the four publicly funded school boards in grades 7 through 12.
|
| Data Table for Figure 2 |
Table 2. Reported use (% of Ottawa students) in the past year for selected substances, 2017
| Substance | Percentage of Student Reporting Use |
|---|
| Alcohol |
35.9 |
| Cannabis |
18.0 |
| Non medical opioids (Gr 7-8) |
8.6 |
| Non medical opioids (Gr 9-12) |
11.3 |
| Cough/cold medicine |
9.4 |
| Tobacco |
5.8 |
| Illicit drug use (Gr 9-12) |
9.9 |
|
|
| Emergency Department Visits for Drug Use |
|
In Ottawa:
- Unintentional opioid drug overdose emergency department visits exceed overdoses from all other drugs combined (e.g., cocaine, barbiturates and amphetamines). Opioid overdoses have increased markedly since 2015 (Figure 3).
- Young adults have the highest rates of unintentional opioid overdose emergency department visits, peaking in the 30 to 34 year age group (Figure 4).
Figure 3. Emergency department visits for unintentional opioid and non-opioid drug related overdoses in Ottawa from 2008 to 2017
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 3 |
|
Unscheduled emergency department visits, National Ambulatory Care System (2008-2017). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care IntelliHealth Ontario. Extracted Oct 2, 2018
- Data includes poisonings from opioids (T400, T401, T402, T403, T404 and T406) and non-opioid drug poisonings (T405, T408, T423, T409 and T436).
- Data excludes intentional events (X61, X62 and Y87) and those related to cannabis overdoses (T407).
- Data includes patients with Ottawa as their public health unit of residence.
- For clarity, rates are not graphed, but are provided in the accompanying data table.
|
| Data Table for Figure 3 |
Table 3. Emergency department visits for unintentional opioid and non-opioid drug related overdoses in Ottawa from 2008 to 2017
| Year | All Opioid Overdoses Counts | Non-Opioid Overdoses Counts | Population | Opioid Overdose Rates (per 100,000 population) | Non-Opioid Overdoses Rates (per 100,000 population) |
|---|
| 2008 |
103 |
63 |
869,015 |
11.9 |
7.2 |
| 2009 |
104 |
61 |
883,741 |
11.8 |
6.9 |
| 2010 |
128 |
62 |
899,016 |
14.2 |
6.9 |
| 2011 |
138 |
72 |
912,248 |
15.1 |
7.9 |
| 2012 |
153 |
68 |
924,466 |
16.6 |
7.4 |
| 2013 |
198 |
82 |
936,180 |
21.1 |
8.8 |
| 2014 |
196 |
87 |
946,870 |
20.7 |
9.2 |
| 2015 |
178 |
94 |
956,929 |
18.6 |
9.8 |
| 2016 |
243 |
115 |
973,481 |
25 |
11.8 |
| 2017 |
370 |
122 |
996,651 |
37.1 |
12.2 |
|
Figure 4. Emergency department visit rates (counts per 100,000 population) for unintentional opioid overdose by age group in Ottawa, 2017 
| Data Sources and Notes for Figure 4 |
|
Unscheduled emergency department visits, National Ambulatory Care System (2017). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care IntelliHealth Ontario. Extracted Oct 2, 2018
- Data includes unintentional poisonings from opioids (T400, T401, T402, T403, T404 and T406) and non-opioid drug poisonings (T405, T408, T423, T409 and T436).
- Data excludes intentional events (X61, X62 and Y87) and those related to cannabis overdoses (T407).
- Data includes patients with Ottawa as their public health unit of residence.
|
| Data Table for Figure 4 |
Table 4. Emergency department visit rates (counts per 100,000 population) for unintentional opioid overdose by age group in Ottawa, 2017
| Age Group (in Years) | Opioid Overdose Rate (per 100,000 population) |
|---|
| Less than 1 |
No cases |
| 1 to 4 |
No cases |
| 5 to 9 |
No cases |
| 10 to 14 |
5.8 |
| 15 to 19 |
40.5 |
| 20 to 24 |
55.5 |
| 25 to 29 |
71.7 |
| 30 to 34 |
83.4 |
| 35 to 39 |
50.1 |
| 40 to 44 |
33.5 |
| 45 to 49 |
51.5 |
| 50 to 54 |
32.1 |
| 55 to 59 |
37 |
| 60 to 64 |
27.1 |
| 65 and Older |
17.2 |
|
- A different pattern is seen when looking at drug-related emergency department visits for mental and behavioural disorders in Ottawa (Figure 5, Table 6). Non-opioid related mental and behavioural disorder emergency department visits exceed those of opioids and show an increasing trend beginning in 2015 (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Emergency department drug-related mental and behavioural disorder visits in Ottawa from 2008 to 2017
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 5 |
|
Unscheduled emergency department visits, National Ambulatory Care System (2008-2017). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care IntelliHealth Ontario. Extracted Oct 2, 2018
- Data includes mental and behavioural disorders for opioids (F110-F119) and non-opioids (F130-139, F140-149, F150-159, F160-169, F180-F189 and F190-F199).
- Data excludes intentional events (X61, X62 and Y87) and those related to cannabis (F120-129).
- Data includes patients with Ottawa as their public health unit of residence.
- Rates are not graphed for clarity, but are provided in the accompanying data table.
|
| Data Table for Figure 5 |
Table 5. Emergency department drug related mental and behavioural disorder visits and rates as counts per 100,000 population in Ottawa from 2008 to 2017
| Year | All opioid mental disorder counts | Non-opioid mental disorder counts | Opioid mental disorder rate | Non-opioid mental disorder rate |
|---|
| 2008 |
209 |
1029 |
24.1 |
118.4 |
| 2009 |
229 |
879 |
25.9 |
99.5 |
| 2010 |
345 |
1014 |
38.4 |
112.8 |
| 2011 |
312 |
1005 |
34.2 |
110.2 |
| 2012 |
295 |
1008 |
31.9 |
109 |
| 2013 |
230 |
926 |
24.6 |
98.9 |
| 2014 |
236 |
1058 |
24.9 |
111.7 |
| 2015 |
285 |
1148 |
29.8 |
120 |
| 2016 |
294 |
1487 |
30.2 |
152.8 |
| 2017 |
395 |
1714 |
39.6 |
172.0 |
|
Table 6. Number of mental and behavioural disorder emergency department visits in Ottawa by drug type, 2017
| Drug Type | Number of emergency department visits |
|---|
| Multiple drug use |
947 |
| Cocaine |
537 |
| Opioids |
395 |
| Stimulants |
209 |
| Hypnotics |
97 |
| Hallucinogens |
21 |
| Solvents |
Less than 10 visits |
| Data Source and Notes for Table 6 |
|
Unscheduled emergency department visits, National Ambulatory Care System (2008-2017). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care IntelliHealth Ontario. Extracted Oct 2, 2018
- Data includes mental and behavioural disorders for opioids (F110-F119) and non-opioids (F130-139, F140-149, F150-159, F160-169, F180-F189 and F190-F199).
- Data excludes intentional events (X61, X62 and Y87) and those related to cannabis (F120-129).
- Data includes patients with Ottawa as their public health unit of residence.
- Rates are not graphed for clarity, but are provided in the accompanying data table.
|
|
| Hospitalizations for Drug Use |
|
In Ottawa:
- Unintentional opioid drug overdose hospitalizations exceeded overdoses from all other drugs combined (e.g., cocaine, barbiturates, amphetamines) (Figure 6).
- Adults aged 65 and older have the highest rates of unintentional opioid overdose hospitalizations (Figure 7). This group also has the highest rate of opioid prescription for pain (Figure 8).
Figure 6. Hospitalizations for unintentional drug related overdoses in Ottawa from 2008 to 2017
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 6 |
|
Unscheduled hospitalizations, Discharge Abstract Database (2008-2017). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care IntelliHealth Ontario. Extracted Oct 2, 2018
- Data includes poisonings from opioids (T400, T401, T402, T403, T404 and T406) and non-opioid drug poisonings (T405, T408, T423, T409 and T436).
- Data excludes intentional events (X61, X62 and Y87) and those related to cannabis overdoses (T407).
- Data includes visits with Ottawa as the public health unit of the patient.
- Rates are not graphed for clarity, but are provided in the accompanying data table
|
| Data Table for Figure 6 |
Table 7. Hospitalization counts and rates (per 100,000 population) for opioid and non-opioid overdoses
| Year | Hospitalization counts for opioids | Hospitalization counts for non-opioids | Hospitalization rates for opioids | Hospitalization rates for non-opioids |
|---|
| 2008 |
32 |
16 |
3.7 |
1.8 |
| 2009 |
33 |
12 |
3.7 |
1.4 |
| 2010 |
15 |
13 |
1.7 |
1.4 |
| 2011 |
43 |
9 |
4.7 |
1 |
| 2012 |
45 |
15 |
4.9 |
1.6 |
| 2013 |
45 |
11 |
4.8 |
1.2 |
| 2014 |
55 |
23 |
5.8 |
2.4 |
| 2015 |
44 |
18 |
4.6 |
1.9 |
| 2016 |
64 |
22 |
6.6 |
2.3 |
| 2017 |
67 |
33 |
6.7 |
3.3 |
|
Figure 7. Hospitalization rates (counts per 100,000 population) for unintentional opioid overdose by age group in Ottawa, 2017
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 7 |
|
Unscheduled hospitalizations, Discharge Abstract Database (2008-2017). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care IntelliHealth Ontario. Extracted Oct 2, 2018
- Data includes poisonings from opioids (T400, T401, T402, T403, T404 and T406) and non-opioid drug poisonings (T405, T408, T423, T409 and T436).
- Data excludes intentional events (X61, X62 and Y87) and those related to cannabis overdoses (T407).
- Data includes visits with Ottawa as the public health unit of the patient.
- Rates for those aged 0 to 19 are suppressed due to low counts.
|
| Data Table for Figure 7 |
Table 8. Hospitalization rates (counts per 100,000 population) for unintentional opioid overdose by age group in Ottawa, 2017
| Age Group (in Years) | Hospitalization Rate (per 100,000 population) |
|---|
| 0 to 19 |
Not reportable |
| 20 to 29 |
7 |
| 30 to 39 |
7 |
| 40 to 49 |
9.1 |
| 50 to 64 |
7 |
| 65 and older |
12.6 |
|
Figure 8. Prescription rates as counts per 1,000 population for opioid prescriptions for pain by age group in Ottawa, 2017
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 8 |
|
Ontario Drug Policy Research Network. Ontario Prescription Opioid Tool. Toronto, ON; July 2018. Available from: http://odprn.ca/ontario-opioid-drug-observatory/ontario-prescription-opioid-tool/ [Extracted Oct 2, 2018]
|
| Data Table for Figure 8 |
|
Table 9. Individual prescription rates as counts per 1,000 population for opioid prescriptions for pain by age group in Ottawa, 2017
| Age Group (in Years) | Prescription Rate (per 100,000 population) |
|---|
| 0 to 14 |
10.4 |
| 15 to 24 |
71.6 |
| 25 to 44 |
75.6 |
| 45 to 64 |
130.2 |
| 65 and older |
197.6 |
|
- Although non-opioid mental health and behavioural hospitalizations exceed those that are opioid-related, this difference has narrowed in recent years (Figure 9).
- Table 11 shows the mental and behavioural disorder hospitalizations by drug type.
Figure 9. Opioid and non-opioid related mental and behavioural disorder hospitalizations in Ottawa from 2008 to 2017
![]: A line graph showing the count of hospitalizations for opioid and non-opioid related mental and behavioural disorders in Ottawa from 2008 to 2017](/en/reports-research-and-statistics/resources/Images/HosptDrugsMentalBehav_Ottawa_2017.png)
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 9 |
|
Unscheduled hospitalizations, Discharge Abstract Database (2008-2017). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care IntelliHealth Ontario. Extracted Oct 2, 2018
-
Data includes mental and behavioural disorders for opioids (F110-F119) and non-opioids (F130-139, F140-149, F150-159, F160-169, F180-F189 and F190-F199).
-
Data excludes intentional events (X61, X62 and Y87) and those related to cannabis (F120-129).
-
Data includes patients with Ottawa as their public health unit of residence.
-
Rates are not graphed for clarity, but are provided in the accompanying data table.
|
| Data Table for Figure 9 |
Table 10. Opioid and non-opioid related mental and behavioural disorder hospitalizations in Ottawa from 2008 to 2017
| Year | All Opioid Mental Disorder Counts | Non-Opioid Mental Disorder Counts | Opioid Mental Disorder Rate | Non-Opioid Mental Disorder Rate |
|---|
| 2008 |
85 |
216 |
9.8 |
24.9 |
| 2009 |
97 |
214 |
11 |
24.2 |
| 2010 |
104 |
214 |
11.6 |
23.8 |
| 2011 |
95 |
188 |
10.4 |
20.6 |
| 2012 |
103 |
189 |
11.1 |
20.4 |
| 2013 |
103 |
171 |
11 |
18.3 |
| 2014 |
138 |
177 |
14.6 |
18.7 |
| 2015 |
131 |
166 |
13.7 |
17.3 |
| 2016 |
176 |
228 |
18.1 |
23.4 |
| 2017 |
211 |
242 |
21.2 |
24.3 |
|
Table 11. Number of mental and behavioural disorder hospitalizations in Ottawa by drug type, 2017
| Drug Type | Number of hospitalizations |
|---|
| Opioids |
211 |
| Cocaine |
137 |
| Multiple drug use |
104 |
| Hypnotics |
26 |
| Stimulants |
25 |
| Hallucinogens |
<10 |
| Solvents |
<10 |
| Data Source and Notes for Table 11 |
Unscheduled hospitalizations, Discharge Abstract Database (2008-2017). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care IntelliHealth Ontario. Extracted Oct 2, 2018
-
Data includes mental and behavioural disorders for opioids (F110-F119) and non-opioids (F130-139, F140-149, F150-159, F160-169, F180-F189 and F190-F199).
-
Data excludes intentional events (X61, X62 and Y87) and those related to cannabis (F120-129).
-
Data includes patients with Ottawa as their public health unit of residence.
-
Rates are not graphed for clarity, but are provided in the accompanying data table.
|
|
| Fatalities and Drug Overdoses in Ottawa |
Unintentional Drug Overdose Deaths
- In 2016, there were 45 deaths associated with unintentional drug overdoses, including overdoses where intent was unknown. The majority of these deaths (37, 82%) were opioid related (Figure 10).
- Figure 11 shows the age distribution of unintentional drug overdose deaths in Ottawa in 2016.
- The rate of drug overdose deaths increased 32% in Ottawa between 2014 and 2015 and only 6% in the rest of Ontario (Figure 12). The increase in unintentional overdose deaths in Ottawa and the rest of Ontario has been due to increased unintentional opioid overdose deaths (Figure 12).
- Since 2014, fentanyl has been involved in the largest proportion of drug overdose deaths in Ottawa. For more information see the "Drug-related death in Ottawa, 2000-2015" report.
Figure 10. Unintentional drug overdose deaths in Ottawa by type of drug involved, 2016
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 10 |
|
Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario, extracted April 2018. Analyzed by Epidemiology Team, Ottawa Public Health.
- Data includes overdoses that were unintentional or of unknown intent. Data should be considered preliminary. Data includes people with Ottawa as their public health unit of residence.
|
| Data Table for Figure 10 |
Table 12. Unintentional drug overdose deaths in Ottawa by type of drug involved, 2016
| Drug type | Number of deaths |
|---|
| Fentanyl |
18 |
| Non-fentanyl opioids |
19 |
| All opioids |
37 |
| Non-opioid |
8 |
| Total |
45 |
|
Figure 11. Age distribution of unintentional drug overdose deaths in Ottawa, 2016 (45 deaths total)
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 11 |
| Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario, extracted April 2018. Analyzed by Epidemiology Team, Ottawa Public Health. |
| Data Table for Figure 11 |
Table 13. Age distribution of Ottawa unintentional drug overdose deaths, 2016 (45 deaths total)
| Age Group | Number of Unintentional Drug Overdose Deaths |
|---|
| 0 to 9 Years |
0 |
| 10 to 19 Years |
1 |
| 20 to 29 Years |
8 |
| 30 to 39 Years |
14 |
| 40 to 49 Years |
11 |
| 50 to 59 Years |
8 |
| 60 Years and Older |
3 |
|
Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths
Total opioid overdose deaths include those that are unintentional, intentional (suicide) or of unknown intent.
- There were a total of 64 opioid overdose deaths in 2017, an increase from 40 opioid overdose deaths in 2016 (Figure 12). The increase in opioid-related deaths is consistent with the trend seen in emergency room visits and hospitalizations: opioid-related harms have been increasing over the past few years (Figure 12).
- The mortality rate resulting from opioid use was highest in the 45 to 64 year old age group in 2017 (Figure 13).
- Fentanyl was the single most common opioid implicated in unintentional opioid-related overdose deaths in 2016 (Figure 10). In 2017, fentanyl was responsible for 72% of all-intent opioid related deaths (46 of 64). [4]
Figure 12. Total opioid overdose deaths in Ottawa and rates per 100,000 population, 2008 to 2017
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 12 |
|
Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). Interactive Opioid Tool. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2018. Available from: http://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/DataAndAnalytics/Opioids/Opioids.aspx
|
| Data Table for Figure 12 |
Table 14. Total opioid overdose deaths in Ottawa from 2008 to 2017
| Year | Count of deaths | Rate of deaths |
|---|
| 2008 |
14 |
1.6 |
| 2009 |
34 |
3.8 |
| 2010 |
22 |
2.4 |
| 2011 |
20 |
2.2 |
| 2012 |
19 |
2.1 |
| 2013 |
29 |
3.1 |
| 2014 |
30 |
3.2 |
| 2015 |
34 |
3.6 |
| 2016 |
40 |
4.1 |
| 2017 |
64 |
6.4 |
|
Figure 13. Total opioid overdose related deaths by age group and rates as counts per 100,000 population in Ottawa, 2017
| Data Source and Notes for Figure 13 |
|
Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). Interactive Opioid Tool. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2018. Available from: http://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/DataAndAnalytics/Opioids/Opioids.aspx
- Data includes all opioid overdoses and people with Ottawa as their public health unit of residence.
- The rates by age for a single year should be interpreted with caution because of low counts in some age groups.
|
| Data Table for Figure 13 |
Table 15. Total opioid overdose related deaths by age group and rates as counts per 100,000 population in Ottawa, 2017
| Age Group (in Years) | Count of Deaths | Rate of Deaths (per 100,000 population) |
|---|
| 0 to 14 |
1 |
0.6 |
| 15 to 24 |
7 |
5.4 |
| 25 to 44 |
25 |
8.6 |
| 45 to 64 |
28 |
10.5 |
| 65 and Older |
3 |
2 |
|
|
Drug Use and Overdose Reports
| Emergency Department Visits for Drug Overdoses in Ottawa, Archived Reports from 2017 |
|
|
| Problematic Substance Use in Ottawa, 2016 |
|
This report focuses on the prevalence of use, and the associated morbidity and mortality from the problematic use of illicit drugs, excluding cannabis, and of opioid prescription drugs used for non-medical purposes.
Problematic Substance Use in Ottawa - Technical Report [PDF 2.5 MB]
|
| Drug Overdose Deaths in Ottawa, 2000-2015 |
| Report: Drug Overdose Deaths in Ottawa, 2000-2015 [PDF 834 KB] |
| Overdose and HIV and Hepatitis C Infection Among People in Ottawa who use Drugs, 2014 |
|
This report provides epidemiologic information about the risk of overdose and HIV and HCV infection among people who use drugs.
Overdose and HIV and hepatitis C infection among people in Ottawa who use drugs - 2014 [PDF 369 KB]
|
| Ottawa Student Drug Use and Health (OSDUH) Report, 2014 |
|
The Ottawa Student Drug Use and Health Report 2014 offers a snapshot of health risk behaviours among youth in Ottawa using data from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS).
Full report [PDF 875 KB]
Infographics:
|
| Substance Misuse in Ottawa, 2013 |
| This report focuses on the prevalence of substance use and the attributed burden of mental health, addictions, injury and chronic disease in Ottawa. It is meant to inform an evidence-based dialogue in our community to foster effective health prevention, promotion and interventions related to substance misuse.
Substance Misuse in Ottawa Report [PDF 887 KB.]
|
External Links
| Opioid-Related Morbidity and Mortality in Ontario |
| The Interactive Opioid Tool allows users to explore the most recent opioid-related morbidity and mortality data including emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths. Results can be viewed by public health unit, local health integration network, age, sex, and in some cases, drug type. |
References
| References |
- Ottawa Public Health. Canadian Community Health Survey 2015/16. Ontario Share File. Statistics Canada.
- Ottawa Public Health. Public Health Monitoring of Risk Factors in Ontario – Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey 2017. Centre for Addictions and Mental Health
- Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario. [Extracted April 2018]
- Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). Interactive Opioid Tool. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2018. Available from: http://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/DataAndAnalytics/Opioids/Opioids.aspx
|
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