Opioid-related deaths fell 23% last year, feds say, but ‘crisis is complex’

The federal government says the toxic drug crisis continues to have devastating effects despite a decrease in opioid-related deaths last year.

Federal health officials say the national rate of toxicity deaths declined by 23 per cent in 2025 due to several factors, including naloxone distribution and changes to the drug supply.

Officials also say opioid-related hospitalizations decreased by 12 per cent last year.

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They stress, however, that these changes are uneven and progress remains fragile.

“The progress we are seeing today reminds us that change is possible. But it also reminds us that there is more work to do,” Health Canada said in a statement.

“This crisis is complex. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to preventing or reducing its harms, and the drivers that surround it.”

The number of opioid-related deaths in Canada remained higher than a decade ago, when the public drug crisis emerged.

The government recorded more than 5,600 apparent opioid-related deaths last year, an average of 15 lives lost each day.