Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39716518›Full record

ArticleJournal of substance use and addiction treatment2025

Trends, characteristics, and circumstances surrounding stimulant toxicity deaths in Ontario, Canada from 2018 to 2021.

Shaleesa Ledlie, Pamela Leece, Joanna Yang, Anita Iacono, Gillian Kolla, Rob Boyd, Nikki Bozinoff, Mike Franklyn, Dana Shearer, Ashley Smoke and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Shaleesa LedlieLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Pamela LeecePublic Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Joanna YangICES, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Anita IaconoLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Gillian KollaFaculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada.
Rob BoydOttawa Inner City Health Inc, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Nikki BozinoffDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Mike FranklynNorthern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
Dana ShearerLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Ashley SmokeOntario Drug Policy Research Network Lived Experience Advisory Group, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Fangyun WuICES, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Tara GomesLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: Tara.Gomes@unityhealth.to.

Funding

NIDA NIH HHS R25 DA037756
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAs the drug toxicity crisis continues to evolve globally, harms related to non-opioid substances, including stimulants, have risen in parallel. Our study aims were to describe trends in accidental stimulant toxicity deaths and to characterize demographic characteristics of decedents and the circumstances surrounding death.

methodsWe conducted a population-based repeated cross-sectional study, of all accidental stimulant toxicity deaths between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021, in Ontario, Canada. We reported monthly rates of stimulant toxicity deaths per 100,000 people residing in Ontario and the circumstances surrounding death. All analyses were stratified by the type of stimulant(s) involved in death.

resultsBetween 2018 and 2021, we identified 5210 stimulant toxicity deaths with the monthly rate rising from 0.4 to 1.0 per 100,000. Both cocaine and methamphetamine were involved in 16.2 % of deaths, and 56.2 % and 27.7 % involved cocaine or methamphetamine (without other stimulants), respectively. Over 80 % of deaths also involved an opioid. Among all deaths, 75.2 % of decedents were male, 53.1 % were aged 25-44, and over half of all deaths occurred in private residences (64.7 %).

conclusionsThe rate of stimulant toxicity deaths has continued to grow, more than doubling over a three-year period. As stimulant-related deaths continue to rise, comprehensive social supports and mental health services, including harm reduction and treatment programs adapted to the unique needs of people who use stimulants alone or in combination with other substances, are urgently required to meet the changing needs of people who use drugs.

Indexed as

Central Nervous System StimulantsCocaineDrug OverdoseMethamphetamineAdolescentAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedOntarioYoung AdultCentral Nervous System StimulantsCocaineMethamphetamineCocaineDrug overdoseHarm reductionMethamphetamineStimulants

Identifiers

PMID39716518
PMCPMC12279021

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.