Eric Hoskin's Statement on Ontario's Opioid Strategy

Toronto, Sep 19 (Canadian-Media):  In the event of the rising epidemic of opioid crisis in Ontario, Dr. Eric Hoskins, Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care issued the following statement today: 

Eric Hoskins. Image credit: Twitter handle

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"The opioid crisis in Ontario is a tragic and growing issue, one we are continuing to work diligently to combat. As part of our government's commitment to openness, transparency and evidence-based decision-making, we are continuing to make relevant data widely available, including to health care providers and planners working on the front lines, as well as to the public. 

Today, we have updated the Interactive Opioid Tracker with data from April 1 - June 30, 2017. As part of the $222 million announced last month to fight the opioid crisis, Ontario is making $21 million immediately available to help community-based addiction organizations in their response to this crisis. In addition, our government is making fentanyl testing strips available that can identify whether a substance contains fentanyl. These strips will at first be made available at all current supervised injection services and pop-up sites and will be evaluated for further distribution. We know that our work isn't over -- we continue to work closely with our partners, increasing access to treatment and supports as we fight this public health crisis together."

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)​