Manitoba has highest rate of stimulant toxicity deaths in Canada: data

Manitoba has the highest rate of stimulant-related deaths in all of Canada, according to new data. Daniel Halmarson reports.

Manitoba has the highest rate of stimulant-related deaths in all of Canada, according to new data.

On Thursday, the Government of Canada released information regarding toxic drug poisonings in the country, showing that Canada has seen a climb in deaths from 2016 to 2024.

Last year, Manitoba had the highest rate of stimulant drug-related deaths in the country, coming in at 30 deaths per 100,000 people. The numbers show that this amounted to 448 deaths in 2024, which is up from 412 deaths in 2023 and 317 deaths in 2022.

When it comes to opioid toxicity deaths, Manitoba’s 2024 crude rate was 24.8 per 100,000 people. This is the third highest rate in the country, with only British Columbia and the Yukon seeing higher rates.

In terms of the numbers, 371 people died from opioid-related deaths in Manitoba last year. Though this number is down slightly from 382 deaths in 2023, it’s still up substantially from when the Public Health Agency of Canada first began its tracking.

When national surveillance started in 2016, there were 88 opioid toxicity deaths in the province, followed by 106 in 2017. The province saw a major jump in 2020 when it went up to 233 deaths, and the numbers only continued to climb from there.

How does Manitoba compare?

Manitoba falls somewhat in line with what is being seen across the rest of the country.

In 2024, there were 7,146 opioid toxicity deaths across Canada and 3,931 stimulant-related deaths. Both numbers are down from the year prior, however, the data shows the country has seen a distinct rise in both opioid and stimulant-related deaths since 2020.

In a statement, the provincial and territorial chief coroners, medical officers and medical examiners said Canada’s overdose crisis is one of the biggest public health issues Canada has ever faced. The statement noted that though there was a drop in deaths in 2024, an average of 20 people died every day from opioid toxicity in Canada last year.

“All aspects of our strategies to respond to the drug toxicity crisis should be population and person-centered,” it said.

“This includes working together across prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement to provide solutions. The drug toxicity crisis is complex, and continued coordinated efforts between multi-sectoral partners are key to save lives and improve population health.”

The full set of data can be found online.