Sault Chamber calls for action on 'escalating' opioid crisis

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce is urging the provincial government to do a better job in addressing the opioid crisis to help reduce harms on communities, while ensuring the health and dignity of all people is respected.

On Thursday, the Ontario Chamber released a new report titled "Beyond Emergency Declarations: Charting Ontario’s Course Through the Substance Use and Overdose Crisis." It says the opioid epidemic in the province is driven by stigma within healthcare settings, obstacles to treatment, declining mental health and the escalating toxicity of the drug supply.

The report says local chambers of commerce and boards of trade have reported increased incidents of trespassing and disruptions to business operations from people experiencing mental health challenges and substance dependencies.

Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce president Derek Jackson said the conversation needs to look beyond just the issue of crime. 

“The overdose crisis goes far beyond this, directly or indirectly impacting all employees, customers, family members, stakeholders and community at large,” Jackson said. 

Despite the provincial government’s strategies to combat the issue, Ontario is projected to to exceed 3,000 annual drug poisoning deaths for the fifth year in a row, which translates to more than eight fatalities per day.

Sault Ste. Marie experienced the second-highest opioid mortality rate in the province in 2022 — more than three times the Ontario average — with 61.1 deaths per 100,000.

“Here in Sault Ste. Marie, we are grappling with an escalating substance abuse and opioid crisis that we are ill-equipped to manage,” said Rory Ring, the outgoing CEO of the Sault Chamber. "Local businesses are struggling with rising security costs and decreasing customer traffic.”

“This brief calls upon the decision-makers to think outside the silos of any one particular addictions management approach and urges the collection of better data to drive evidence-based solutions,” Ring said.

The report calls for a collaboration of industry, government, healthcare and community organizations to work together toward a solution. It seeks ‘a review of the operating procedures and practices of existing interventions to reduce the unintended harm that can be caused to communities, while ensuring the crisis is managed through a public health approach that prevents mortality, improves recovery outcomes, reduces stigma and respects the dignity of all people.’

It also asks for improved data collection and calls for a culture of collaboration between industry, government, healthcare and community organizations working together to mitigate the impacts of this crisis on people and communities.