Timmins physicians react to new study findings that poorer Canadians endure more opioid harm than wealthier ones

A new study reveals that low-income Canadians are nearly four times more likely to die from opioid usage than people who are wealthy.

The study was conducted over a 17 year period by researchers at the University of Waterloo. Pharmacy professor, Wasem Alsabbagh, said the rate in the lowest income areas of the country is also "almost four times (higher) for mortality and more than four times (higher) for hospitalization and almost five times higher for ER visits."

The study was recently published in the journal Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada.

These findings come as the Safe Health Site Timmins, a safe injection site, is set to open on Monday morning and local physicians are not surprised by them.

“People with less income have less opportunities for health and well-being and face greater inequalities in terms of health and health care and that does include social services, supports, mental health and addictions," said Dr. Liane Catton, medical officer of health for the Porcupine Health Unit.

Alsabbagh added, "All of those assumptions that we have that everyone is tech savvy, that everyone can access the care is not really true for a lot of people.”

He says by drawing the link between low socioeconomic status and opioid harm, policies can be designed to better serve the needs of communities such as establishing safe injection sites in locations where people will need it more.

An addictions lead at the Timmins and District Hospital agreed and said that the goal of Safe Health Site Timmins is "to reach those individuals who are challenging to reach; the most marginalized and vulnerable and those that really aren't sure how to even seek help for their addiction," said Dr. Louisa Marion-Bellemare.

Waterloo University researchers said low socioeconomic status is found in geographic areas with less access to resources and where people endure discrimination and social isolation.