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Chan EYL, McDonald BM, Brooks-Lim E, Jones GR, Klein KB, Svenson LW. At-a-glance - The role of opioid toxicity in suicide deaths in Alberta, 2000 to 2016. Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can 2019; 38:343-347. [PMID: 30226729 DOI: 10.24095/hpcdp.38.9.07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Y L Chan
- Analytics and Performance Reporting Branch, Alberta Ministry of Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bruce M McDonald
- Analytics and Performance Reporting Branch, Alberta Ministry of Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Brooks-Lim
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Alberta Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Graham R Jones
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Alberta Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kristin B Klein
- Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Alberta Ministry of Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lawrence W Svenson
- Analytics and Performance Reporting Branch, Alberta Ministry of Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Division of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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