The Addiction Crisis in Levis

No city-level overdose data specific to Levis was found in publicly available sources. Levis is located in the Chaudiere-Appalaches region and is served by the CISSS de Chaudiere-Appalaches health authority, which operates addiction rehabilitation services including a treatment centre at 99, rue du Mont-Marie, Levis. Regional-level statistics are not separately published from provincial Quebec data. The provincial trend is deteriorating, making Levis — as part of Quebec's broader drug supply landscape — affected by the same fentanyl-driven surge hitting the province.

Canada recorded approximately 7,146 apparent opioid toxicity deaths in 2024 (PHAC), down 17% from an estimated 8,600 in 2023. Despite the national decline, opioids remain the leading cause of accidental death for Canadians aged 20-49. Quebec is one of only three jurisdictions where deaths increased in 2024, moving against the national trend. In early 2026, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer reported a 23% drop in national opioid deaths in 2025, but Quebec's trajectory remains a concern given its structural gaps in harm reduction policy and services.

01. What is happening in Levis

Note: City-specific data for Levis is limited. Figures reflect Quebec-wide trends.

02. A crisis that did not start this month

Quebec recorded 645 confirmed or suspected drug overdose deaths in 2024, the highest annual total ever recorded in the province, up from 536 in 2023 — a 20% year-over-year increase. The overdose death rate rose from 5.1 per 100,000 in 2018 to 7.3 per 100,000 in 2024. Fentanyl or its analogues were detected in nearly two-thirds of opioid deaths. Quebec is moving against the national trend: Canada-wide opioid deaths fell 17% in 2024, but Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories all saw increases. In early 2025, Health Canada's Drug Analysis Service detected newly arrived nitazene analogues in Quebec samples — synthetic opioids that may be twice as potent as fentanyl — raising serious concern about the next phase of the crisis.

03. Why is it getting worse?

1. Fentanyl contamination of the drug supply: Fentanyl or analogues were detected in nearly 65% of Quebec opioid deaths by 2024, up from 33% in 2017. 2. Emerging nitazene analogues: In early 2025, Health Canada detected novel nitazenes in Quebec drug samples — synthetic opioids potentially twice as potent as fentanyl. 3. Inadequate harm reduction infrastructure: Experts and frontline workers report that demand for services is growing but resources have not kept pace, and supervised consumption access in Quebec remains limited compared to other provinces. 4. Geographic spread beyond Montreal: The crisis is no longer concentrated in urban centres — it is affecting smaller cities and regions including areas like Chaudiere-Appalaches. 5. Stigma and delayed treatment: Quebec's approach has been slower to adopt harm reduction as policy compared to British Columbia and Ontario, contributing to preventable deaths. 6. Countercurrent to national trend: While the rest of Canada saw a 17% drop in opioid deaths in 2024, Quebec rose — signalling systemic gaps rather than a temporary spike.

04. Where hope still lives

Communities across Quebec are responding with naloxone distribution, harm reduction programs, and peer support networks. Every person trained in naloxone use is a potential life saved.

05. In the news

The reporting behind this page:

• Overdose deaths in Quebec are on the rise, and the problem could get worseCBC News · 2025
• Drug overdose deaths in Canada are dropping. So why is Quebec nearing a record high?CBC News · 2024
• Quebec on pace to record back-to-back years with 600 drug overdose deathsCBC News · 2025
• How to fight Quebec's toxic drug problem? A former user says change the conversationCBC News · 2025
• Overdose Epidemic in Quebec: Population-Level Approaches and Clinical ImplicationsMDPI / Harm Reduction Journal · 2024
• Opioid deaths dropped 23% in 2025 — bringing cautious optimism from Canada's top doctorCBC News · 2026