North America is grappling with an opioids epidemic.

British Columbia has even declared a public health emergency because of a significant increase in opioid-related overdoses and deaths.

Dr. David Juurlink, Head of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto, and Tara Gomes, Epidemiologist and Scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, explain the genesis of this crisis, why physicians are prescribing so many high-strength opioids and offer some solutions to end the crisis.

Interview by Mélanie Meloche-Holubowski, journalist intern at EvidenceNetwork.ca, and journalist with Radio-Canada.