Highly addictive opioids are to blame for a rising death toll in Canada, according to the government.

Fentanyl is increasingly responsible for opioid overdose deaths in Canada, according to new government data.

Nearly 50,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the North American country between January 2016 and June 2024, the U.S. national health agency reported on Monday.

During this time, fentanyl, a highly addictive drug synthetic opioids Painkillers were sometimes prescribed and accounted for 49,105 of the deaths.

At the same time, data shows the proportion of deaths caused by fentanyl has increased, accounting for 79% of opioid deaths so far this year. That’s a 39% increase since 2016.

The data was released just weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office in the White House.

The looming Trump presidency draws attention to increase attention North America’s opioid crisis, president-elect threatens levy 25% tariff Canada and Mexico will suffer if their neighbors don’t do more to stop drugs and undocumented immigrants from entering the United States.

The Canadian government last week announced a slew of new border measures aimed at allaying Trump’s concerns, even if the president-elect’s claims didn’t mesh well with the data.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported seizures of less than 20 kilograms of fentanyl at the U.S.-Canada border in 2023.

Still, Canadian authorities have warned of an increase in domestic fentanyl production in the country, with law enforcement focusing more on the chemical precursors used to make the substance.

The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the seizure of Canadian-made fentanyl in the United States, Australia and other countries indicates that domestic production exceeds demand and Canada has become a net exporter of fentanyl.

According to Health Canada, the overall incidence of opioid overdoses has decreased compared to last year.

Health Canada says an average of 21 people have died from opioid overdoses every day so far this year, a drop of 11 per cent from 2023.

Still, the agency cautioned that these numbers are preliminary and subject to change.

“We must be cautious when drawing conclusions about trends in 2024,” the company said in a statement.

“The level of harm associated with opioids and stimulants remains extremely high.”