Alcohol & Drugs
Hamilton Opioid Information System
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Epidemiology & Evaluation
Hamilton Public Health Services is collaborating with Hamilton Paramedic Services, Hamilton Health Sciences, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, and community partners to provide timely opioid-related information to the public.
Local Opioid Information
From January 1, 2025 to May 11, 2025, Hamilton Paramedic Services responded to 208 incidents related to suspected opioid overdoses.
- Since January 2017, the majority of cases (75%) were male, and the average age was 38 years.
- In 2023, Hamilton Paramedic Services responded to more incidents related to suspected opioid overdoses, 964 incidents (approximately 80 per month), compared to 2022.
- In 2022, Hamilton Paramedic Services responded to fewer incidents related to suspected opioid overdoses, 814 incidents (approximately 68 per month), compared to 2021.
- In 2021, Hamilton Paramedic Services responded to more incidents related to suspected opioid overdoses, 914 incidents (approximately 76 per month), compared to 2020.
- In 2020, Hamilton Paramedic Services responded to fewer incidents related to suspected opioid overdoses, 565 incidents (approximately 47 per month), compared to 2019.
- In 2019, approximately 596 people called 911 for a suspected opioid overdose, which was about 50 per month and 1.3 times higher than 2018.
- In 2018, approximately 450 people called 911 for a suspected opioid overdose, which was about 38 per month.
Monthly opioid-related paramedic incidents in Hamilton
This figure shows the monthly number of paramedic incidents related to suspected opioid overdose in Hamilton since January 10, 2017.
Source: Hamilton Paramedic Services, extracted May 14, 2025.
Map of Paramedic Incidents Related to Opioid Overdose
Note: This map shows the concentration of opioid-related paramedic incidents between January 1, 2017 to May 11, 2025.
| Ward | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | 19 | 24 | 19 | 43 | 27 | 33 | 34 | 2 | 217 | 3.84% |
| 2 | 159 | 171 | 203 | 244 | 449 | 423 | 507 | 380 | 72 | 2608 | 46.13% |
| 3 | 103 | 102 | 190 | 141 | 198 | 175 | 209 | 205 | 39 | 1362 | 24.09% |
| 4 | 40 | 38 | 56 | 37 | 63 | 59 | 58 | 44 | 9 | 404 | 7.15% |
| 5 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 71 | 36 | 48 | 23 | 5 | 278 | 4.92% |
| 6 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 84 | 1.49% |
| 7 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 27 | 22 | 3 | 163 | 2.88% |
| 8 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 23 | 15 | 7 | 133 | 2.35% |
| 9 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 78 | 1.38% |
| 10 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 67 | 1.19% |
| 11 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 32 | 0.57% |
| 12 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 35 | 0.62% |
| 13 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 77 | 1.36% |
| 14 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 47 | 0.83% |
| 15 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0.39% |
| n/a | 13 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 47 | 0.83% |
Note: Hamilton Paramedic Services, extracted May 14, 2025
Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of opioid overdose. Naloxone is available free of charge at many pharmacies.
Public Health & Naloxone Expansion Sites
Through Q1 2025 - Public Health & Naloxone Expansion Sites distributed 7,162 doses.
Previous years
- 2024 – 35,093 naloxone doses were distributed by Public Health & Naloxone Expansion Sites.
- 2023 – 27,561 naloxone doses were distributed by Public Health & Naloxone Expansion Sites.
- 2022 – 23,405 naloxone doses were distributed by Public Health & Naloxone Expansion Sites.
- 2021 – 19,165 naloxone doses were distributed by Public Health & Naloxone Expansion Sites.
- 2020 – 17,658 naloxone doses were distributed by Public Health & Naloxone Expansion Sites.
- 2019 - 17,083 naloxone doses were distributed by Public Health & Naloxone Expansion Sites.
- 2018 - 6,825 naloxone doses were distributed by Public Health & Expansion Sites.
Hamilton Pharmacies
In Q4 2024 - Hamilton pharmacies distributed 41,780 doses of naloxone.
Previous years
- 2023 – 66,668 doses of naloxone were distributed through Hamilton pharmacies.
- 2022 – 35,316 doses of naloxone were distributed through Hamilton pharmacies.
- 2021 – 26,150 doses of naloxone were distributed through Hamilton pharmacies.
- 2020 – 18,270 doses of naloxone were distributed through Hamilton pharmacies.
- 2019 – 20,502 doses of naloxone were distributed through Hamilton pharmacies.
- 2018 – 12,756 doses of naloxone were distributed through Hamilton pharmacies.
- 2017 – 4,722 doses of naloxone were distributed through Hamilton pharmacies.
Note: Because of the way naloxone is disseminated in the community, published data now reports naloxone doses distributed. Previously published data reported naloxone kits distributed. One kit is equivalent to 2 doses.
Sources: Hamilton Public Health Services, Mental Health & Harm Reduction Program, extracted April 29, 2025.
Ministry of Health (MOH), Drugs and Devices Division. Health Network System. Received February 18, 2025. .
Due to a data quality issue which is currently under investigation, the data from June 4, 2022 has been found to be unreliable and was removed on August 11, 2022. This data will be updated once the issue has been resolved.
Visits for general overdoses and drug misuse
Between May 21 and May 28, 2022, there were 65 emergency department visits at Hamilton hospitals for drug misuse or overdose. This includes overdoses and misuse associated with drugs and substances other than opioids
Visits for suspected overdoses
Among the 65 patients visiting Hamilton emergency departments from May 21 to 28, 2022, 29 cases were suspected overdoses, which may have been related to any drug or substance.
Six month trend
Over the past six months, the numbers of emergency department visits for drug misuse/suspected overdoses has been stable.
Source: Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance, KFL&A Public Health Knowledge Management Team. Prepared by City of Hamilton Public Health Services, extracted August 10, 2022.
Visits and hospitalizations for opioid poisoning
In January 2025, there were 30 emergency department visits and 5 hospitalizations for opioid poisoning.
Between February 2024 and January 2025, on average, there were 62 emergency department visits and 10 hospitalizations per month.
For more information about opioid-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations among Ontario and Hamilton residents, view the Public Health Ontario's Interactive Opioid Tool. Note that the number of emergency department visits on the tool for Hamilton count the visits among Hamilton residents, while the numbers on this page count the number of patients visiting Hamilton hospitals.
Note: December 2017, January 2018 and February 2018 ED visit data from St. Joseph's Hamilton were 95% complete at the time of reporting. As a result, opioid ED visits may be temporarily undercounted for this reporting period.
Source: Hamilton Health Sciences, IDS: National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), received April 29, 2025.
Opioid-related deaths are increasing annually in Hamilton.
In 2024 - As of December, 126 Hamilton deaths are probable or confirmed to be opioid related.
Previous years:
- 2023: 150 Hamilton deaths are probable or confirmed to be opioid related.
- 2022: 166 Hamilton deaths are probable or confirmed to be opioid related.
- 2021: 167 Hamilton deaths are confirmed to be opioid related.
- 2020: 131 Hamilton deaths are confirmed to be opioid related.
- 2019: 109 Hamilton deaths are confirmed to be opioid related.
- In 2018: 122 confirmed opioid-related deaths in the City of Hamilton, representing a 36% increase over the same period last year (88 deaths). Between 2016 (52) and 2017 (88) , there was a 69% increase in the opioid-related death rates.
Note that probable deaths are those for which the investigation to determine cause of death is ongoing.
Note: Preliminary data for 2023 and 2024; contains confirmed and probable cases. Data from all years remains subject to change, though the majority of opioid-related deaths are confirmed within 12 months.
Source: Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario, April 11, 2025.
How Hamilton compares
Between 2005 and 2023, Hamilton had a higher rate of opioid-related deaths when compared to the provincial average.
- In 2023, Hamilton's opioid-related death rate was 41% higher than the provincial rate.
- In 2022, Hamilton's opioid-related death rate was 63% higher than the provincial rate.
- In 2021, Hamilton's opioid-related death rate was 42% higher than the provincial rate.
- In 2020, Hamilton's opioid-related death rate was 31% higher than the provincial rate.
- In 2019, Hamilton's opioid-related death rate was 76% higher than the provincial rate. A decrease in opioid-related death rate was noted from 2018 to 2019 in Hamilton.
- In 2018, Hamilton's opioid-related death rate was 112% higher than or more than double the provincial rate.
- In 2017, Hamilton's opioid-related death rate was 72% higher than the provincial rate.
For more information about opioid-related deaths in Ontario, view the Public Health Ontario's Interactive Opioid Tool.
Source: Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario, extracted from the Public Health Ontario Interactive Opioid Tool, October 2, 2024.
The number of deaths in Hamilton that are suspected to be drug-related can be an early indicator of trends in opioid-related deaths.
From January 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025, there have been 251 suspect drug-related deaths in Hamilton.
Note: Suspect-drug related deaths are not opioid-specific, and include deaths that could be related to other drugs. Data are preliminary and subject to change.
From 2023-2025, most suspect drug-related deaths in Hamilton have occurred among males (77%) and among people aged 30-39 and 60-69 (43%). 49% of all incidents have occurred in 4 FSAs.
Note: Age groups with fewer than 5 counts (age group 0-19) have been suppressed.
Note: Forward Sortation Area (FSA) of the location of the incident. FSAs with fewer than 5 counts have been suppressed.
Note: Counts for age, sex, and FSA may not add up to the total number of suspect drug-related deaths, due to pending information collection and suppression of small counts. Data are preliminary and subject to change.
Information on suspect drug-related deaths is reported on a weekly basis. In 2024, an average of 3.7 suspect drug-related deaths occurred each week in Hamilton.
| Year | Weekly Median | Weekly Minimum | Weekly Maximum | Weekly Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3.3 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3.2 |
| 2020 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 3.4 |
| 2021 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 4.2 |
| 2022 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 4.2 |
| 2023 | 3.5 | 0 | 11 | 4 |
| 2024 | 4.0 | 0 | 7 | 3.7 |
Source: Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario, received November 14, 2024.
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