Canada cracks down on opioid abuse amid record deaths

The Canadian government has announced new legislation aimed at tackling the growing problem of opioid drug abuse, citing statistics that record numbers of Canadians have died from drug overdoses this year.

The government made particular reference to the abuse of the opioid painkiller fentanyl, the generic ingredient found in 24 branded drugs. Fentanyl has a similar mechanism of action to morphine, but is between 50 and 100 times more potent.

Statistics in September revealed deaths from fentanyl in Canada rose 61.6% on the same period last year to 488 in a single state, British Columbia. The drug most frequently finds its way into the country from China.