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
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.