KAWARTHA LAKES-The OPP has laid the framework for holding drug traffickers accountable for the death and destruction they cause.
From January 2019 to September 2019, 1,163 Ontarians lost their lives due to opioid-related causes. Based on this statistic, one person in Ontario died every 4.7 hours from opioids according to police.
Police say in 2019, The OPP Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB)was involved in 12 overdose-related death investigations which led to 102 charges laid. That’s a 500% increase over one year.
From 2017 to 2019, CIB laid charges in 16 overdose-related death investigations. A total of 134 charges were laid against 31 persons, including, but not limited to Manslaughter, Criminal Negligence Causing Death and Unlawfully Cause Bodily Harm. Â Officals say there was an increase from 17 charges laid in two overdose-related death investigations in 2018, to 102 charges laid in 12 overdose-related death investigations in 2019 .
“There are no excuses in today’s environment to continue to allow this drug to be distributed to our communities. People are dying from opioid overdoses every day. We are continuing to hold those people who are knowingly trafficking harmful substances, such as fentanyl, accountable for these deaths.” – Deputy Commissioner Chuck Cox,
The numbers are part of the 2019 Opioids and Overdoses Report that was released today. The OPP is responsible for policing over one million square kilometres of land and providing direct service to more than 2.3 million residents. The report outlines the progress made and the challenges officers are witnessing from our previous report, 2018 Opioids and Overdoses: Impacts and Strategies.
In a three-year reporting period, 21 Manslaughter charges and 12 Criminal Negligence Causing Death charges were laid against dealers.
“The OPP, along with other police services in Ontario, have been sending a clear and concise message to drug dealers in our province – claiming ignorance is not an acceptable excuse for supplying drugs that are killing people within our communities.” said the OPP in a report.
Another element of their drug overdose investigations framework that the OPP has initiated is the mandatory notification to the OPP’s Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU) of suspected overdoses. This allows the local CSCU to initiate a parallel drug investigation (if not already engaged) and attempt to source the substance(s) causing harm. In some cases, this has led to charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA).
According to the data there was a 121 per cent increase in overdose occurrences attended by the OPP from 2016 to 2018. The OPP responded to 897 overdose occurrences in 2017; 1,381 in 2018; and 1,625 in 2019. This represents an 81 per cent increase over a three-year period. Police say the number of opioid-related overdose occurrences continues to increase each year. In 2018, the OPP responded to 571 suspected opioid-related occurrences, and 798 in 2019. This is a 40 per cent increase over a one year period of time, indicating opioid use continues to be of paramount concern within OPP jurisdictions.
In 2019, 59 per cent of all overdose-related occurrences in OPP jurisdictions affected males while 41 per cent affected females. The average age of those affected was 38 years old, consistent for both males and females. The data shows overdose-related occurrences predominantly affecting Central Region and West Region. Fentanyl remains the opioid seized most often by the OPP in 2019, followed by hydromorphone and oxycodone, respectively.
The report found that fentanyl remains the most prevalent opioid identified in all Ontario samples between January and June 2019 (44 per cent). This finding is consistent with OPP data from drugs seized during investigations. Many investigations include the seizure of multiple drugs not limited to opioids (i.e. cocaine, methamphetamine). For the 2019 reporting period, fentanyl was the most seized opioid in OPP jurisdictions (35 per cent) followed by hydromorphone (20 per cent) and oxycodone (19 per cent).
The OPP says the Good Samaratin Act is at the centre of it’s response to the opioid crisis. Â The purpose of the Act is to reduce fear of police attending overdose events and embolden people to seek life- saving assistance and stay with a victim in the event of an overdose. The GSDOA came into force in May 2017. This Act amends the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) to provide some legal protection for individuals who seek emergency assistance during an overdose.
In September 2017, every frontline member received training in the use of naloxone and provided with a two-dose kit while on shift. Naloxone is used to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Since then, OPP officers have saved 108 lives by administering naloxone as of the end of 2019.
photo credit: [mementosis] end of an era(?) via photopin (license)
