The average life expectancy of Canadians could be reduced by the use of opiates

Canada will begin taking into account opioid overdoses related to average life expectancy

Canada will soon discover whether the deadly crisis of life opiates will affect duration

The Public Health Agency of Canada says it will begin to account for opioid overdoses in its calculations of average life expectancy, a trend than the United States. UU has already observed for years.

Life expectancy is a means of measuring the overall well-being of the country. It can be affected by things like lifestyle, diet, access to health care, education, income and disease rates.

"Now that there is more data on opioid-related mortality, available at the national level, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) plans to conduct a robust badysis of the disease. 39, life expectancy in the coming months, "said Rebecca Purdy, spokesperson for CBC, a spokeswoman for the federal agency

.The calculations of life expectancy are complex but they can provide a valuable measure that can help contextualize the effects of a health event on a population. "

Life expectancy has increased dramatically in recent years. A baby born in 2017 is expected to live 82 years, according to the latest Statistics Canada figures. In 1990, the average was 77 years for both bades

(The current situation is different for the Inuit community: 64 years for men and 73 years for women.)

But those who closely observe the Opioid epidemic they say that they expect the numbers to decline once the increase in overdoses is taken into account.

A needle used on the ground in a park in Lawrence, Mbadachusetts, in May, where people were arrested during a raid to combat the use of heroin and fentanyl in the region, according to law enforcement officials. (Brian Snyder / Reuters)

An important step

Recent figures show that nearly 4,000 Canadians died of an opioid overdose in 2017, compared to 3,000 in 2016 Men were the most likely victims, and fentanyl was almost the only culprit

The number of apparent deaths related to opioids between 30 and 39 years of age in 2017 was greater than the number of deaths due to one of the other leading causes of death for this reason. age group in 2015.

Dr. Robert Strang, Chief Medical Officer of Health for the Province of Nova Scotia, referred to the decision of the Public Health Agency of Canada to "Important measure".

that we will likely have a similar impact in Canada on that of EE. And for me, this will only encourage dialogue and help people understand the significant impacts of our substance use in Canada, "said Strang.

"What should lead us to wonder why is this happening and what can we do about it? "

USA UU, which is experiencing a similar drug epidemic, saw its overall life expectancy reduced for the second year in a row in 2016.

The last time life expectancy in the United States. UU decreased in the early 1990s during the AIDS epidemic.

Researchers in British Columbia, where the crisis appears to have been most severe in Canada, have already begun to examine links between overdoses and hope

Life expectancy lower in British Columbia

Before the onslaught of the opioid epidemic in British Columbia, the province experienced an increase in its annual life expectancy.

But this hope went from 83.02 years in 2014 to 82.64 in 2016.

A report from the provincial office of health workers and the British Columbia and Center for Disease Control attributed some of this overdose mortality to death

"This is an indicator of the general health of a population and when the general health of a population is affected, it really helps to emphasize the seriousness of the situation," said Dr. Brian Emerson, who He said that it was too early to speculate on the impact at the national level, but noted that it is not a secret that people from other provinces are also dying of Use of opiates and fentanyl