Opioid awareness in Canada
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Description: Opioid Awareness in Canada
Opioids are typically pain medications, mostly available by prescription. Some of the most commonly known opioids are fentanyl, OxyContin, morphine and codeine.
3 in 10 Canadians aged 18 and over reported using some form of opioids in the past 5 years.
Of those, more than 1 in 4 have leftover opioids being stored in the home.
Did you know?
Drugs obtained illegally or on the street have the potential to contain fentanyl.
- 71% aware
- 14% somewhat aware
- 15% not at all aware
Fentanyl is a medication used to relieve pain that is about 100 times more potent than morphine.
| Very aware | Somewhat aware | Not at all aware | |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 38% | 48% | 14% |
| Alberta | 30% | 54% | 16% |
| Saskatchewan | 23% | 55% | 22% |
| Manitoba | 26% | 54% | 19% |
| Ontario | 26% | 52% | 22% |
| Québec | 18% | 50% | 33% |
| Atlantic Provinces | 27% | 54% | 18% |
Level of awareness
Adverse effects of mixing opioids with other medication
- 72% very aware
- 18% somewhat aware
- 10% not at all aware
I would recognize the signs of an opioid overdose
- 28% agree
- 51% disagree
- 22% neither agree or disagree
Percentage of Canadians who agreed they would know how to:
- 15% obtain Naloxone
- 10% administer Naloxone
- 7% both obtain and administer Naloxone
Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can stop or reverse an opioid overdose, however, the results are temporary.
For further information on opioids, please visit the following website: Opiod crisis in Canada
Source: Survey on Opioid Awareness, 2017
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