Examples of opioids include:
- Oxycodone
- Morphine
- Hydromorphone
- Fentanyl
- Codeine
- Methadone
- Heroin
What do opioids look like?
Prescription opioids come in various forms.
- Pills
- Patches
- Sprays
- Syrups
- Solutions
- Suppositories
Who uses opioids?
Opioids are prescribed by physicians to people with acute or chronic pain resulting from disease, surgery or injury. Because of the risk of abuse, opioids are prescribed cautiously for chronic pain. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of prescription opioids legally dispensed in Canada climbed almost 24 percent with more than 21.7 million prescriptions dispensed last year. Opioid misuse is the third leading cause of accidental death in Ontario.
Health Canada - Opioids and the opioid crisis – Get the facts
What's happening in Middlesex-London?
London has multiple overlapping drug-related crises that require a range of layered responses.