(Dreamstime)

By Canadian Press

225 Calls In One Week

Calgary and Edmonton see spike in opioid-related emergency medical calls

Dec 8, 2021 | 4:10 PM

Alberta’s public health agency is alerting the public about a spike in opioid-related emergency medical calls in the province’s two major cities.

From Nov. 29 to Dec. 5, emergency medical services responded to 140 opioid-related calls in Edmonton and 85 in Calgary.

Alberta Health Services says that is “higher-than-average” and notes it is working with local agencies to understand the circumstances and what immediate supports are needed.

Over the last month, AHS says EMS responded to between 57 and 112 calls a week in Edmonton and between 44 and 58 in Calgary.

They are urging anyone who is using drugs to not use alone, have naloxone on hand, and to access available supports such as supervised drug-use sites in their area.

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Alberta is on track to record its deadliest year on record for drug poisoning deaths with more than 1,000 fatalities between January and August this year.

Lori Sigurdson, NDP critic for Mental Health and Addictions, made the following statement in response to associate Minister Mike Ellis’ announcement:

“Addressing the overdose crisis and preventing drug poisoning deaths requires strong action from the UCP. I hope that making Sublocade more available saves lives, but this announcement does not take away the need for the UCP to immediately implement more harm reduction services.

“In June, I called on the UCP to expand supervised consumption services, provide safe, legal and regulated pharmaceutical alternatives to toxic street drugs, and to implement drug testing. We haven’t seen any action on these crucial services.

“Alberta Health Services issued an alert today regarding an increase in opioid-related EMS calls which demonstrates the severity of the drug poisoning crisis. Mike Ellis admitted that the current supply is toxic and dangerous, yet he still rejects and stigmatizes the need to increase harm reduction services.

“The unprecedented number of Alberta families who are losing loved ones to preventable deaths, more than four every day, proves that Ellis and Kenney’s approach to this crisis is a tragic failure. They must change course.”