Opioid use among Ontario seniors an ‘overlooked and evolving crisis’: study

CANADA Opioid use among Ontario seniors an ‘overlooked and evolving crisis’: study By Sean Previl Global News Posted September 23, 2026 4:14 pm 3 min read WATCH: Opiod use increasing in people aged 55+, study finds LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE A new report in Ontario shows there is an “overlooked and evolving crisis” of older adults using opioids. About 1 in 350 older Ontarians was identified as having opioid use disorder (OUD) – an 81 per cent increase from 2017, according to a report released Wednesday by the Toronto-based Catholic hospital network, Unity Health. “We hope that our findings will bring to light the nature of this often overlooked and evolving crisis among older adults and help inform programs and policies to prevent deaths in the future,” the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network said in its report. The report highlighted some of the most common opioids being prescribed, including hydromorphone, oxycodone, codeine, morphine and methadone. Between 2017 and 2025, the report showed the number of older adults 55-plus seeking care for OUD doubled from 7,116 to 15,231. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT “We have really seen this consistent climbing not only in the rates of people with opioid use disorders and who are accessing treatment, but also the opioid-related harms within those who are in these older age brackets,” said Tara Gomes, an epidemiologist and author of the report. The rate of opioid-related deaths among older adults has also risen, jumping from 1.1 per 100,000 people in 2013 to 1.8 per 100,000 in 2024. Gomes said opioid prescriptions were given at high rates during the 1990s and early 2000s, but as those prescriptions waned in the 2010s, that same age group started transitioning to an illicit drug supply. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. SIGN UP FOR WEEKLY HEALTH NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. “So we have this population of people who developed opioid use disorder many decades ago, who are now aging and reaching the ages of 50s and 60s and having these health-care needs,” Gomes said. She added the increase also could be due to better awareness and screening of OUD and among older…