Nova Scotia's battle against opioid scourge is showing progress

Nova Scotia's battle against opioid scourge is showing progress, officials say

Prescription pills containing oxycodone and acetaminophen are shown in Toronto on December 23, 2017. Nova Scotia's chief medical officer says the province fight against Canada's growing opioid crisis is showing notable progress. Dr. Robert Strang says the number of overdose deaths in Nova Scotia has remained stable in the past year, which is considered a success in a country where the number of accidental opioid-related deaths continues to rise.Graeme Roy / THE CANADIAN PRESS

scroll down please 

TRURO, N.S. — Nova Scotia’s fight against Canada’s growing opioid crisis is showing notable progress, the province’s chief medical officer says.
Dr. Robert Strang told a news conference Friday that the number of opioid overdose deaths in Nova Scotia has remained stable in the past year, which is considered a success in a country where the number of accidental opioid-related deaths continues to rise.
“The fact that we’re not increasing is an indication of the positive impact of the work we’re doing and the investments made,” Strang said in an interview. “Our initial investment in harm reduction is making a difference.”
Between January and August of this year, there were 38 probable or confirmed opioid overdose deaths in the province, a figure that is in line with the average since 2011, Strang said. There were 63 opioid-related deaths in 2017.
Across Canada, there were 3,671 accidental apparent opioid-related deaths in 2017, according to the latest federal figures. That represents a 40 per cent increase when compared with the previous year.
The problem is particularly acute in British Columbia, where the per capita rate is three times the national average. There were 1,399 opioid-related deaths reported in B.C. in 2017, up from 974 in 2016.