Issues such as homelessness and addiction took centre stage at a coroner’s inquest that began at the end of November. The proceedings focused on the circumstances into the death of Brad Chapman, a 43-year-old father of three who died on Aug. 26, 2015 in downtown Toronto.

RNAO was a party to the inquest, which meant representatives from the association could ask questions of witnesses and make submissions. At the time of Chapman’s death, there were no sites offering access to supervised injection services (SIS) or overdose prevention services (OPS). Now, there are 18 sites operating across the province, with an additional three sites preparing to open. RNAO says such services are essential given opioids claimed the lives of 867 people in 2016, and 1,265 people in 2017. 

Testimony during the inquest demonstrated huge cracks across multiple systems that failed Chapman, and didn’t adequately respond to repeated requests for help to find housing and support to treat his addiction. 

For the latest on the outcome of the inquest, visit announcements and updates at RNAO.ca