Drug overdose deaths falling from record highs in Alberta

“Now is the time to redouble our efforts to make it as easy as possible for Albertans to pursue recovery from addiction,” says Ellis. “We will continue working tirelessly to address the addiction crisis, reduce deaths even further, and make treatment and recovery as accessible as possible.”

“Every major city in Alberta has seen a significant decrease since their respective peak,” reads a media release from the Alberta Government.

Among the Albertans who died as a result of drug overdoses, fentanyl was detected in 94 per cent of cases while methamphetamine was found in the person’s body 51 per cent of the time.

Men are disproportionately impacted by fatal drug overdoses, comprising 72.4 per cent of all incidents in Alberta. People aged 35-39 are most commonly the victims.

The province has announced several initiatives over the last couple of years aimed at helping those who are suffering from addiction.

The government also allocated $5 million to organizations across Alberta to provide recovery-oriented care.

In January through June of 2022, Red Deer recorded 30 deaths from opioid overdoses, up from 24 in that timeframe last year, according to the Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System.

Turning Point says while those 30 deaths were happening — during this year’s first six months — the Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) it operates had 18,806 visits.

That’s an average of 3,134 per month, about 731 weekly, or 104 each day.

The full Alberta substance use surveillance system report can be viewed on the Alberta Government website.

(With files from rdnewsNOW)

by David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Drug overdose deaths falling from record highs in Alberta

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