Local death rate from crystal meth triple Ontario average
London and Middlesex County have become the epicentre of Ontario’s crystal methamphetamine crisis.
The Middlesex London Health Unit (MLHU) has created a new data dashboard that charts the growing crystal meth crisis— and the deadly trend is chilling.
From 2018 to 2020, methamphetamine death rates in London and Middlesex County more than tripled, and are now 2.8 times higher than the provincial average.
At Coffee Culture on Dundas Place, owner Shane Kenneth has witnessed the street drug’s rapid emergence and devastating effects.
“It really negatively impacts you. And you try so hard not to be judgemental,” admits Kenneth.
On Thanksgiving Monday, he closed the coffee shop earlier than planned after four separate incidents involving people displaying erratic behaviours that he attributes to meth’s effects as a stimulant.
“It’s very hard to run a business while at the same time, be a mental health worker and protect your staff,” he adds.
The intent of the MLHU’s data dashboard is to identify trends and help prioritize steps needed to alleviate the crystal meth crisis.
It displays five key indicators:
- harm reduction service utilization
- healthcare utilization
- treatment service utilization
- fatalities
- crimination
“When we can have that data to measure it, we can go to government bodies and say, ‘This is what we’re seeing in our community. This is a crisis, we need help right away,’ ” explains Megan Van Boheemen, Acting Director of Harm Reduction at Regional HIV/AIDS Connection.
As for why London has seen a spike, Van Boheemen suspects one answer may be a link to the homelessness crisis.
When falling asleep on the streets feels dangerous, stimulants like crystal meth will keep a person awake.
Geography may also play a role.
“Our location on the 401 between Toronto and Detroit, that’s impactful,” explains Van Boheemen. “We know there’s a lot of human trafficking in London. Our location is prime. We are also surrounded by a lot of rural areas where there isn’t a lot of support.”
“Opioid data is a bit easier to collect, because the outcomes are tragically often easier to count. Crystal Meth, less so. As a result, I think we are one of the first regions to pull this kind of data together in a comprehensive way. Which means we’re going to be telling our story first," said Dr. Alex Summers, Associate Medical Officer of Health, MLHU at the MLHU’s Board of Health on Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.