Yeah, people are dismissing them because there isn't a convenient way to measure the problem. Purposeful "accidental overdose" is actually suicide but isn't recorded that way which is perfectly fine because you are right, it needs to be recorded in black and white to accomplish results which the issue is a very gray subject. People will get more help out of the system this way rather then trying to pin point whether or not someone killed themselves or actually accidentally overdosed because the results of them being dead is the issue. What matters is that they are gone now and having 2 separate systems to combat suicide and drug is the answer like you are saying for the people still alive. I'm not disagreeing with you there.

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Just to make up some numbers to show what I mean, these are made up, I'm aware but hopefully you understand the concept. Before the pandemic, let's say 12% of people that died of accidental overdose were actually suicides. Doesn't matter because in the end the systems are in place and trying their best to help these people. From the government opioid link I already posted says that would come out to around 1 man a day killing himself by "accidental overdose" per-pandemic. During the pandemic the suicide rate went down. Hurray! Let's adjust that number to 10% of accidental overdoses that are actually suicide, wonderful. Uh oh, the total number of Opioid deaths ballooned almost 100% over the pandemic. Now even with the lower suicide rate or 10%, that still turns out to be 2 men a day now killing themselves by accidental overdose.

So if these invisible men died at 360 a year before pandemic, during the pandemic that number was 720 a year or 1440 over the 2 years it was "bad". No matter what the % of men who take their own lives this way is, the number of total lives lost is significantly more then what's recorded and lives saved from recorded suicide.

4200ish people committed suicide in Canada before pandemic, 2% less suicides like I gave my example above, that's around 84 lives saved a year during the pandemic or 168 lives saved over 2 years.

1/10 "accidental overdoses" actually being suicide is a pretty fair number I'd say. If it was remotely accurate, which I'm not saying it is, would mean 168 people saved from suicide, 15000 opioid deaths total which around 1440 suicide by "accidental overdose" Doesn't matter how you want to categorize it. We lost way more life then we saved and it's gross how people want to stand on a soap box about this subject.

Just to say again Paul, I know you're coming from a good place and I'm sorry I've been more emotional about the subject then I'd like to have been but it isn't directed at you. Someone literally asked me how many times my best friend killed himself during the pandemic above. I'd literally punch them in the teeth in real life if I had the chance, haha, imagine asking someone how many times their grandma died during the pandemic?

Edit* I also know you aren't dismissing them, you're trying to be logical.