Illicit opioid deaths increased most in central Nova Scotia health zone post-COVID, research finds

A Dalhousie University research study that looked at trends in opioid toxicity mortality in Nova Scotia’s four health zones from 2009 to 2023 showed that the Central Zone had the biggest rise in non-pharmaceutical opioid deaths in the province’s post-pandemic period. Photo by FileArticle contentData from a Dalhousie University study shows a rise in non-pharmaceutical opioid deaths in the Central Zone of Nova Scotia.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe study, co-authored by Cindy Feng, an associate professor in Dalhousie’s Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, and Mark Asbridge, a professor, looked at trends in opioid toxicity mortality in Nova Scotia’s four health zones from 2009 to 2023, with the focus on differences between pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical (illicit) opioid-related deaths.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentFeng said the data was from the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner’s Service.Article contentPharmaceutical opioids are prescribed for pain relief, and deaths often result from misuse, dependence or accidental overdose. Illicit opioids are unregulated and include fentanyl and its analogues, which are often mixed with other substances.Article contentThe rate of fatal opioid overdoses in the province declined in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic but rose again after 2021 due largely to deaths linked to non-pharmaceutical opioids, according to findings by the researchers.Article contentThe numbers showed the Central Zone had a much greater level of illicit opioid-related deaths compared to the Northern, Eastern and Western zones.Article contentThe Central Zone, which covers the Halifax Regional Municipality and West Hants County, had 29 non-pharmaceutical opioid-related deaths in 2022-23, up 16 from 2019-21. Pharmaceutical opioid deaths in the Central Zone rose from 50 in 2019-21 to 56 in the 2022-23 period.Article contentArticle content“The Central Zone showed that the pharmaceutical toxicity rate was kind of stable during the pandemic, but what is interesting is that the non-pharmaceutical opioid death rate actually increased during and after the pandemic,” said Feng. “That shows a growing situation with illicit opioids — for example, fentanyl.”Article contentArticle contentThe Northern Zone showed a steady decline in pharmaceutical opioid deaths. In the pre-pandemic era (2009-18), the region had 93. That dropped to 12 in 2022-23. There was, however, an increase in illicit opioid deaths, from four in 2019-21 to seven in 2022-23.Article contentThe Western Zone showed consistently low death rates in both categories, while the Eastern Zone dropped in post-pandemic pharmaceutical deaths (34 to 19).Article contentFeng suggested that the regional disparity across zones might be due to several factors.Article content“For example, the access to illicit drugs and the different health-care services, overdose prevention sites, especially during COVID, there was a huge disruption in the health-care access to treatment.”