Local Data

Drug Use in Wellington Guelph

It can be challenging to determine the severity and effects of drug misuse in a community. Stigma and fear of legal recourse can often deter drug users from seeking medical attention, causing deaths, health issues, and other impacts on quality of life to be under-reported.

It is part of the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy’s mandate to assist with this research and collaborate with other local agencies. The more we know abut drug use and drug users, the better we can advocate for resources and programs to support them.

Quick Facts About Drug Use in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph:

In 2020, there were 1,523 emergency department visits (Source)
In 2020, there were 329 cannabis-related emergency department visits (Source)
In 2020, there were 21 deaths from stimulant drugs (Source)

What Drugs Are Used Locally?

Crystal Meth

Opioids

Cocaine

Party Drugs/Hallucinogens

Benzodiazepines

*Based on a 2018 study in Guelph by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health

Opioid Use in Guelph Wellington

In 2019, there were 4 “suspected” opioid-related deaths
In 2020, there were 24 “suspected” opioid-related deaths, though we anticipate these numbers are higher
As of Dec 7th, 2021, there have been 20 “suspected” opioid-related deaths, based on best evidence

“During the past five years, fentanyl seizures by Guelph Police Service have gone up nearly six-fold, from 23.8 grams in 2015 to 1,126 grams last year, which was nearly double the amount confiscated during 2019, confirmed Sgt. Brad Saint of the drug unit.”

-Guelph Today, June 2021

The opioid crisis is a Canada-wide problem that affects people from all walks of life. Further complicating the crisis is the increasing presence of Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. Overdoses of Fentanyl are becoming more and more common.

These infographics represent research that was done in our community to assess the issue of opioid use and addiction in our community. Click each one to open the full .pdf

Drug Use in Canada

The following statistics were provided from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction’s Canadian Drug Trends summaries of recent research.

Cannabis was the most common substance associated with substance-related hospitalizations for youth aged 10 to 24 years in 2017–2018.
In 2017, the rate of hospitalizations entirely caused by alcohol (249 per 100,000) was comparable to the rate of hospitalizations for heart attacks (243 per 100,000) and the rate was thirteen times higher than for opioids.
In 2014, alcohol contributed to 14,826 deaths in Canada, representing 22% of all substance use attributable deaths.
1 in 25 Canadian youth in grades 10–12 have reported using ecstasy in the past 12 months.
In Canada, the prevalence of prescription stimulant use is highest among youth aged 15–19 (5.4%) and young adults aged 20–24 (5.6%).