You now stand a greater chance of dying from a prescription painkiller overdose than a car crash. That's the alarming warning from local health officials.

People often see their health care practitioner because of pain. Sometimes people will be prescribed opioids, morphine-like medications that include Percocet, Tylenol 3, Demerol, and Fentanyl. When taken as prescribed, opioids can be effective for moderate to severe pain health officials say.

However, there is also a risk of addiction to opioids and, particularly when misused, there is a potential to overdose.

According to a new report published by the Simcoe Muskoka associate medical officer of health, there were 109 deaths from opioid use in Simcoe Muskoka. The death rate from opioids in the region is higher than the provincial average.

“Another way it’s getting into unintended hands is simply through theft, which actually commonly happens in the household,” said report author Dr. Lisa Simon.

While all age groups are affected, the issue is more concentrated among the young. A study in 2014 revealed that among people in Ontario aged 25 to 34, one of every eight deaths is related to opioids. Among youth in Grades 7 to 12, opioids are now the third-most-common illicitly used drug after alcohol and cannabis. In Simcoe Muskoka, about 11 per cent of Grade 7 to 12 students has tried opioids recreationally at least once.

The provincial government is also aware of the issue. In 2012, the government provided nearly $12M to addiction centres across Ontario to create opioid specific counseling programs.

“The withdrawal from opioids is intense and very long, often quite intolerable,” said Meredith Frea with the Centre for Mental Health and Addiction.

At the Centre for Mental Health and Addiction in Barrie, counsellors say kicking the drugs is only part of recovery and intense counseling is often needed.  

“A lot of people coming in are dealing with a lot emotional pain as well and the opioids have really been working well to medicate that pain, so that becomes sort of hand and without continuing the use,” said Frea.

Health officials say everyone has the ability to help reduce the problem, which includes the following:

  • Educate yourself about prescription opioids.
  • Talk to your children, relatives, friends and medical professionals about the risks of these drugs. Ask questions about opioids and other ways to help reduce pain.
  • Use prescription medications as prescribed: see your medical professional regularly to assess if the medication is working well for you.
  • Monitor your prescriptions: know how many pills or patches you have, keep them out of sight and locked up at all times. Most high school students who have used opioids say they got them from home.
  • Clean out your expired and unused medications and take them to your pharmacy for free, safe disposal.