(file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

30 reported in red deer

Drug overdoses have killed more than 1,000 Albertans in 2021

Oct 30, 2021 | 1:23 PM

New numbers released Friday by Alberta Health show 1,026 Albertans died from a drug overdose in the first eight months of 2021.

There were 848 in the same span of 2020 — a record-breaking year — and there were 558 from January to August the year prior.

Of the 1,026 so far reported in 2020, 937 were from opioids.

From the total deaths, 30 were in Red Deer, including two reported in August. That’s down from 38 in the same span in 2020.

“There have been more than 1,000 deaths from drug poisoning from January to August of this year. Tragically, 2021 may prove to be the deadliest year on record. My condolences go out to all of the loved ones of these Albertans,” says Lori Sigurdson, NDP critic for Addictions and Mental Health.

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“These deaths were preventable, and this ongoing heavy death toll is the direct result of the UCP’s failure to understand and appropriately respond to the overdose crisis. This tragic milestone must be a call to action for the UCP to change course.”

As of Saturday at noon, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Mike Ellis and Premier Jason Kenney are yet to comment.

More updated data is available on the province’s Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System.

READ MORE: 898 Albertans died from drug overdoses in first seven months of 2021