Edmonton remains Alberta’s municipality with the most opioid-related deaths, according to recently released provincial data.
While Edmonton tops the list, both the city and the province as a whole have seen a decrease in opioid-related deaths when compared to the same period last year.
Opioid-related deaths in Alberta fell from 436 between Oct. and Dec. 2023 to 355 between Jan. and Mar. 2024, an 18.6% decrease. During the same three-month period in 2023, Alberta saw 442 opioid-related deaths, decreasing 19.7%.
2023 saw a record number of Albertans die from opioid overdoses. In 2023, a total of 2,059 Albertans were killed by drug overdoses, with 1,868 of those deaths being from opioids.
However, Hunter Baril, press secretary for the minister of mental health and addictions, said that the early data released for 2024 is a promising sign.
“As a jurisdictional comparison, the per capita rate for this year is already 26% lower than B.C. This gives us reason to be cautiously optimistic as the number of people losing their lives to addiction continues to trend downward since peaking last year,” he added.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, recently submitted a proposal for the government to endorse the legal sale of drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl in government-operated stores. The provincial government shut her proposal down almost immediately.
“Policies like an unsafe supply are not the answer to an addiction crisis. In every jurisdiction this has been done, it has failed,” said Baril.
Opioids account for the vast majority of drug deaths in the province.
In 2023, 90.7% of all drug poisoning deaths included opioids. So far, in 2024, 90.3% of all drug poisoning deaths involve opioids.
Last year, 93% of the opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl. 66% involved methamphetamine, 24% involved carfentanil, and 16% involved cocaine. Multiple drugs can be involved in one death; therefore, drugs present during death are not mutually exclusive. Also, the actual number of deaths involving fentanyl is likely higher as these data do not include unintentional fentanyl poisoning deaths.
The number of deaths resulting from fentanyl has worsened in 2024.
This year, 96% of opioid-related deaths involve fentanyl. Mirroring last year, 66% involved methamphetamine, cocaine involvement rose to 16%, and alcohol replaced carfentanil in fourth place at 16%.
During the first three months of 2024, Edmonton saw a drug poisoning death rate of 53.7 per 100,000 people. During 2023, it was 60.3 per 100,000 people. The rate in 2024 was eclipsed by only Grande Prairie at 55.5. However, in 2023, the highest rate among municipalities was in Lethbridge, at 110.4 deaths per 100,000 people.
“Every life lost to addiction is a tragedy, and our government extends sincere condolences to the families and loved ones left behind,” said Baril.
Alberta is building 11 recovery communities to enhance long-term treatment capacity. Once the facilities are built, they will be capable of supporting 2,000 people per year with recovery.
Alberta has emphasized a recovery-oriented system over so-called safe supply, which Smith admitted saw safe supply drugs enter the illegal market.
“We will continue to support a system in which anyone suffering from addiction can pursue recovery, rebuild their lives, and reconnect with their family, community, and culture,” said Baril.