Overdose calls in Toronto spike over Christmas week, health officials say

The number of overdose deaths Toronto paramedics were called to spiked over the Christmas period, public health officials say, significantly higher than the past two years.

Between Dec. 20 and Dec. 28, paramedics in Toronto went to 122 overdose calls, a number that is 35 per cent higher than the two-year average.

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Through December, an average of 11 overdose calls were received by paramedics every day, up from the 2025 average of eight per year.

Samples of drugs in Toronto from officials found that drugs people thought were fentanyl had much higher than usual concentrations of para-fluorofentanyl. Eighty-one per cent of samples checked over two weeks in December were also contaminated with the veterinary tranquilizer medetomidine.

“The holiday season can be a challenging time for some,” Toronto Public Health said in a statement. “Feelings of stress or social isolation may intensify at this time of year, which can affect people’s substance use.”