Toronto lays out opioid measures after emergency meeting on spike in deaths
Toronto is speeding up the opening of three supervised injection sites and asking local police to consider having some officers carry the opioid overdose antidote naloxone as the city responds to a spike in suspected opioid-related deaths.
The measures were among several laid out Thursday after the city’s mayor held an emergency meeting with first responders, public health officials and some city councillors.
“These are unimaginable tragedies and, make no mistake, an overdose death is a preventable death,” Mayor John Tory said in a statement. “Today, I asked our first responders to ensure we are doing everything as fast as possible to implement Toronto’s overdose action plan.”
Many Canadian cities have grappled with drug overdose deaths in recent months.