The role of opioid toxicity in suicide deaths in alberta, 2000 to 2016

Abstract

Given the current opioid crisis in Canada, there is interest in the role of opioid toxicity in suicide deaths, particularly in whether any observed patterns are similar to those of unintentional deaths. The present analysis examined characteristics of opioid-toxicity suicide, and its role in relation to other suicide methods, from 2000 to 2016 in Alberta. It does not appear that the opioid crisis has resulted in a disproportionately higher number of suicides in Alberta. Individuals who die from unintentional opioid toxicity and those who die by opioid-toxicity suicide are likely distinct populations, requiring nuanced public health responses for prevention.