Stepping up to the Canadian opioid crisis: a longitudinal analysis of the correlation between socioeconomic status and population rates of opioid-related mortality, hospitalization and emergency department visits (2000–2017)

INTRODUCTION: High levels of income inequality and increased opioid-related harm across Canada bring into question the role of socioeconomic status (SES) in the opioid epidemic. Only a few studies have examined this association, and most of those have analyzed this issue on a provincial level. This study examined the association between opioid-related health outcomes and SES, and investigated rate ratios over time. METHODS: Administrative …