A
new
study
reveals
a
connection
between
poverty
and
opioid-related
hospitalization,
emergency
department
visits
and
deaths
in
Canada.
From
2000
to
2017,
Canada's
poorest
residents
were
3.8
times
more
likely
to
die
of
opioid-related
causes
than
Canada's
richest
residents.
The
study
by
University
of
Waterloo
researchers
is
the
first
to
examine
the
connection
between
socioeconomic
status
and
opioid
incidents
at
the
national
level
in
Canada
and
to
explore
the
trend
over
nearly
two
decades.
Researchers
used
three
comprehensive
national
databases
and
census
data
to
determine
the
correlation
between
areas'
income
levels
and
opioid-related
health
issues.
"Opioid-related
harms
are
at
a
crisis
level
in
Canada,"
said
Wasem
Alsabbagh,
a
pharmacy
professor
at
Waterloo
and
lead
author
of
the
study.
"Opioid-related
hospitalizations
in
Canada
have
increased
by
more
than
50
per
cent
from
2007
to
2017.
In
Ontario,
emergency
department
visits
more
than
doubled.
We
explored
the
trends
between
socioeconomic
status
and
opioid
harms
so
that
we
can
better
understand
how
to
address
the
opioid
crisis."
Read the full story on the Waterloo News website.