Inside Canada’s Fentanyl Overdose Epidemic

SBS Dateline, a long-running Australian current affairs programme focusing on international news and issues, examines the growing toll of fentanyl overdoses in Canada and the impact this crisis is having on families and communities.

Inside Canada’s Fentanyl Overdose Epidemic examines the spread of toxic street drugs fueling a national crisis, leaving frontline workers and harm reduction teams struggling to respond to a rapidly escalating emergency. It also highlights the efforts of support services working to reduce harm, save lives, and provide care in the midst of ongoing loss. This is a story Australians need to hear—because the warnings are clear, and the consequences of ignoring them are devastating.

"Most people did not want to transition to fentanyl. It is much more potent than heroin. So, people who were previously acclimatised to heroin, their brain adjusted to this new potent opioid and so that they have a heavier opiate need in order to stay out of withdrawal."

"When my patients are really stuck in a cycle of drug use, they’re quite vulnerable. They’re vulnerable because of the drug they’re buying. They’re vulnerable because of engaging with the illicit drug market. So, I was hoping to separate my patients from that ongoing vulnerability that they had by creating this alternate system where they can access drugs in a way that’s safer. It’s regulated and thoughtful in a way that I hope reduces those public health harms."

"Canada’s conservative opposition leader  Pierre Poilievre calls for tougher policing on the illegal supply of fentanyl. He also slams the Trudeau government’s possible decriminalization of small amounts of drugs across the country. And beyond just subsidizing deadly drugs, now he wants to decriminalize crack, heroin, cocaine. This policy is insane. It is killing people."⁴

"Drug User Liberation Front: it’s where a select group of users can find illicit drugs free from contaminants like fentanyl. Lots of people don’t get their drugs checked, or if they do, it’s just once in a while. When people get it from us, they’re getting their drugs checked every single time they use."

"People need to know what they’re using. They buy something off the street, who knows what it will be cut with? Sometimes they’re buying drywall instead of actual drugs, or sometimes their cocaine is cut with pig dewormer."⁵

"By the written law, no, it’s illegal to possess, sell and distribute drugs. But in the context of a public health emergency, which is a legislative tool that public health officials have, we need to do everything we can to stop this."⁶

"We’re not fucking drug dealers. We take a slice of the illicit market. We test it rigorously and then we reintroduce it at cost without turning a profit … in the nine months that this project has been running, no one has overdosed or died from consuming their drugs."

"Moms Stop the Harm: it’s a nationwide network with over 3000 members, all of whom have lost loved ones to overdose."

¹ Based on data from the BC Coroners Service as of May 2026, unregulated toxic drugs are causing an average of approximately 4.4 deaths per day in British Columbia. The province continues to report that toxic drug deaths are the leading cause of unnatural death, exceeding the total number of deaths from homicides, suicides, motor vehicle incidents, drownings, and fire-related deaths combined.
² Canadian research has shown that youth and young adults have been disproportionately impacted by the overdose crisis. In 2016 and 2017, nearly half of all accidental deaths among Canadians aged 18 to 24 were caused by acute toxicity, with opioids such as fentanyl and heroin among the most common contributors. The report also found that many youth who died had experienced trauma, housing instability, or other significant social vulnerabilities.
³ As of early 2026, the landscape of supervised consumption sites (SCS) in Canada is experiencing significant, rapid changes, particularly with the shutdown of many locations in Ontario. While roughly 40 sites were operating nationwide in late 2024, Ontario's policy to close sites near schools and pivot to an abstinence-based model has substantially altered that number.
⁴ Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has faced significant criticism from public health experts, harm reduction advocates, and political opponents regarding his proposals to overhaul Canadian drug policy. His approach focuses on ending "safe supply" programs, closing supervised consumption sites, and redirecting funding toward abstinence-based treatment, a stance critics argue is ideologically driven, scientifically unsupported, and dangerous.
⁵ Illicit drugs are frequently contaminated or diluted with unknown substances, making the unregulated drug supply highly unpredictable. Cocaine has commonly been found mixed with levamisole, a veterinary deworming drug linked to severe immune system damage and tissue injury, while fillers such as drywall, chalk, and talc are also sometimes used to increase bulk and maximize profits.
⁶ As of January 31, 2026, the temporary decriminalization pilot program in British Columbia expired and was not renewed, making the possession of small amounts of hard drugs—such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids (including heroin and fentanyl)—illegal again across all of Canada.