Windsor-Essex deaths from opioid abuse not as high as initially reported
Despite counting error, region ‘has some work to do’ to counter problem
The death rate from opioid abuse in Windsor and Essex County in 2015 was much lower than the number cited in a health unit report released in March that rang alarm bells about the crisis, it was revealed Friday.
But it doesn’t make the problem any less pressing, say health officials.
There were 24 opioid related deaths in Windsor-Essex County in 2015 — not 43 as reported by the health unit, said Dr. Dirk Huyer, chief coroner for Ontario.
That means there were 5.9 deaths per 100,000 population, which is 11 per cent higher than the provincial average of 5.3 but nowhere near the 10.7 deaths per 100,000 cited in the WindsorEssex County Health Unit report.
Huyer said the error happened when numbers from his office for Essex County and the City of Windsor were added together by the health unit.
The 19 deaths in Windsor had already been included in the 24 reported for all of Essex County by the Coroner’s Office, he said. “And that led to a number that included the Windsor data twice.”
The mistake was discovered this week when the Ministry of Health announced an online tracking tool for opioid use. The Star asked the ministry and Chief Coroner of Ontario officials why the number of opioid-related deaths listed for Windsor and Essex was 24, not 43.
The initial response was that the higher number was correct, but on Friday Huyer set up a teleconference call with the Star and Windsor-Essex’s associate medical officer of health, Dr. Wajid Ahmed, to explain the mistake.
“Windsor was counted twice ( by the health unit’s epidemiologist) and as a result of that error, when we completed our report the numbers were very high because of the double counting of Windsor data,” Ahmed said.
The report containing the erroneous death rate will be removed from the health unit’s website until it’s corrected, he said.
However, one wrong number doesn’t mean this area has no problem with opioids, said Ahmed.
The March report also cited a tripling of opioid-caused emergency department visits between 2003 and 2015 and a hospitalization rate for opioids that had quadrupled since 2003.
Last week, a Health Quality Ontario report found that the Windsor-Chatham-Sarnia region has the highest proportion of people (18 per cent of the population) taking prescription opioids, a rate that was almost 30 per cent higher than the provincial average. Also, the area was ranked No. 2 out of 14 health regions for the number of prescriptions filled per 100 people — 100 prescriptions, compared the provincial average of 66.
These statistics clearly show Windsor-Essex has a big problem with opioids — even if the death rate is not as high as initially believed, Ahmed said. “And we definitely have some work to do in our community when it comes to opioids.” Huyer agreed. “I haven’t reduced the number down to zero. These people have died,” he said, pointing out that Ontario is seeing a steady and continued increase, year after year, in opioid abuse. The age group most affected is 25-44 years, meaning many productive years are lost to a problem that’s preventable, he said.
“We’re seeing more deaths in Ontario (about two a day) than we’re seeing from car crashes, so this is something that is a significant, ongoing problem.”
We’re seeing more deaths in Ontario (about two a day) than we’re seeing from car crashes, so this is something that is a significant, ongoing problem.