Action = Life: Call for an Immediate Response to National Crisis of Opioid Overdose Deaths

Canada is experiencing an overwhelming opioid overdose crisis. Over the past several years Canada has seen an alarming increase in reported opioid-related fatalities and injuries. Overdose deaths are preventable if the right measures are taken. As we approach International Overdose Awareness Day, held on August 31, the undersigned organizations call on you, as the Prime Minister and as the federal, provincial and territorial health and justice ministers, to immediately implement this 5-point action plan. This includes creating a national overdose task force comprised of qualified health and harm reduction professionals to develop an immediate coordinated, evidence-based national response to the alarming increase in opioid deaths whether from prescribed or illegal drugs. We call on you to act without delay on the recommendations that follow. These 5 points serve as the initial steps of a nationwide crisis response aimed at reducing opioid overdose fatalities and injuries in Canada.