The Addiction Crisis in London

London, Ontario has faced a severe opioid and toxic drug crisis that has worsened significantly since fentanyl entered the unregulated drug supply in 2016, producing a fourfold increase in opioid toxicity deaths by 2021. The local rate of opioid deaths has since declined — down 51% from the 2021 peak to 12.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2024, the third consecutive year of improvement — but the situation remains acute. In March 2025, authorities handled 39 overdose-related emergency calls in a single 24-hour period after a suspect allegedly distributed free toxic drugs in the downtown core, prompting a Code Orange alert at London Health Sciences Centre. In 2026, London Cares reported a jump in drug deaths — at least four in as many weeks — linked to an increasingly toxic fentanyl supply. The crisis has been compounded by the June 2026 closure of Carepoint Consumption and Treatment Services, London's only supervised consumption site, after Ontario ended its provincial funding. Carepoint had reversed 218 overdoses and recorded over 15,000 visits in its final year of operation. London Police launched Project Pathways in April 2025, pairing officers with mental health and addiction workers to address open-air drug use in the downtown core, midtown, and Old East Village.

Canada recorded approximately 7,560 apparent opioid toxicity deaths in 2023 (Public Health Agency of Canada), making it among the deadliest years on record nationally. Preliminary data for 2025 showed a 23% national decline from the 2023 peak, prompting cautious optimism from Canada's Chief Public Health Officer. Three provinces — British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario — account for 78% of all opioid deaths nationally. The federal government has taken actions including expanded naloxone access, safer supply pilots, and funding for treatment, though these measures remain contested politically. Ontario's decision to close supervised consumption sites in 2025-2026 runs counter to federal harm-reduction guidance and has been condemned by Amnesty International as a "deadly war on drugs."

01. What is happening in London

02. A crisis that did not start this month

Ontario recorded 2,639 opioid toxicity deaths in 2023, declining to 2,231 in 2024 — a 15% year-over-year decrease — with a mortality rate of 14.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2024. This remains well above pre-pandemic levels; the province's 2021 peak was 2,880 deaths (19.4 per 100,000). Fentanyl and related substances were present in more than 83% of opioid toxicity deaths, while stimulants were detected in 69% of cases. Men account for approximately 75% of deaths, and one in five opioid overdose deaths occurs in the homeless population. Ontario accounted for a substantial share of Canada's approximately 7,560 apparent opioid toxicity deaths in 2023 (PHAC national estimate). Three provinces — British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario — together recorded 78% of opioid deaths nationally. Ontario's decision to end funding for supervised consumption sites beginning in 2025 has drawn criticism from public health experts and advocacy groups, including Amnesty International, who warn it will drive up fatal overdoses.

03. Why is it getting worse?

Key drivers of the London and Ontario opioid crisis include: (1) contamination of the unregulated drug supply with fentanyl and its analogues since 2016 — present in over 83% of Ontario opioid deaths — making any street drug potentially fatal; (2) the June 2026 closure of Carepoint, London's only supervised consumption site, following Ontario's withdrawal of provincial funding for consumption and treatment services, removing a direct life-saving intervention; (3) housing instability and homelessness — one in five opioid deaths provincially occurs in the homeless population; (4) open-air drug use concentrated in London's downtown core, midtown, and Old East Village reflecting inadequate treatment capacity; (5) deliberate or opportunistic distribution of toxic substances, as demonstrated by the March 2025 incident where a suspect handed out free drugs triggering 39 overdoses in 24 hours; (6) fentanyl increasingly mixed with stimulants (detected in 69% of Ontario deaths), creating unpredictable overdose presentations; and (7) systemic gaps in access to culturally safe, low-barrier addiction treatment for marginalized populations.

04. Where hope still lives

Communities across Ontario 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:

• 39 overdoses in 24 hours reported in Ontario city amid suspected toxic drug supplyGlobal News · 2025
• Police link nearly 40 overdose calls in 24 hours to toxic drugs allegedly being handed outCBC News · 2025
• Closure of London's Carepoint consumption site will drive up overdoses, advocates sayCBC News · 2026
• London Cares sees jump in toxic drug deaths, fears loss of drug consumption siteCBC News · 2026
• London's supervised consumption site is closing. What happens next?CBC News · 2026
• London police chief launches new strategy to curb blatant drug use in publicCBC News · 2025