Hamilton public health board moves forward with new opioid action plan – CBC

Data shows one person dies of a drug overdose every two days in Hamilton

Jun 12, 2023

The City of Hamilton’s Public Health Board unanimously decided to move forward with an 18-month pilot of a new action plan aimed at addressing the opioid crisis in the city.

Melissa Biksa, manager of Mental Well-being and Substance Use for Hamilton Public Health, said the new plan has three goals: reduce the number of opioid deaths, reduce the harms caused by opioid use and increase access to different treatment options.

The plan will address short term and long term goals to address the opioid crisis, she said.

In mid-April, the city declared a state of emergency over residents experiencing homelessness, opioid addiction and mental health.

“This is not a ward-centric issue. This is a citywide issue,” said Ward 9 Coun. Brad Clark.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/opioid-crisis-action-plan-1.6873396