‘Public is not picking this up’: Study warns of rise in stimulant-related deaths – CTV
July 16, 2025
A growing number of overdose deaths in North America involve a dangerous combination of opioids and stimulants, a trend that researchers in a new study are calling a “silent epidemic.”
Led by the University of Alberta, the study warns that while public attention remains focused on opioids like fentanyl and heroin, their co-use with stimulants is increasing, playing a potentially more alarming role than recognized in overdose fatalities across Canada and the United States.
“This is actually a North American thing,” said Bo Cao, lead author of the study and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Alberta, in a video interview with CTVNews.ca. “If you take a look at other developed countries, for example, the U.K., Australia, and other parts of Europe, you actually don’t see this alarming increase every year for opioid related deaths.”
The study analyzed overdose death data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in the U.S. between 1999 and 2021, as well as trends from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System, including opioid use between 2016 and 2022 and stimulant use between 2018 and 2022.
Read more: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/article/silent-epidemic-study-warns-of-deadly-drug-mix-on-the-streets/
