Calgary area has highest rate of fentanyl deaths: study

City’s 75 fatalities lead the province

The number of fentanyl deaths across the province decreased in the first quarter of this year, according to a new report from Alberta Health, which indicates 158 people died from overdoses linked to the opioid between Jan. 1 and Mar. 31.

That compares with 119 fatalities during the same time period last year, and down from 183 deaths recorded in the final three months of 2017.

According to the report, the Calgary area continues to have the highest rate of fentanyl deaths in the province. In the Calgary zone, 75 people died from fentanyl overdoses in the first three months of this year. In the Edmonton region, 46 deaths were linked to fentanyl during that time.

“The Calgary Zone continued to have the highest rate per 100,000 person years at 18.1, compared to the provincial average of 14.6 per 100,000 person years,” the first quarter opioids report released Tuesday states.

The document cites 46 deaths linked to the highly potent opioid carfentanil in Alberta so far this year. Carfentanil deaths spiked in the Calgary area last year, with 52 deaths in the fourth quarter of 2017 and 25 in the previous quarter. This year, 29 carfentanil deaths have been recorded in Calgary.

Police Chief Roger Chaffin called the lower overdose numbers positive. He noted that since supervised consumption sites have opened in Alberta in recent months, people have been resuscitated by medical staff at those facilities.

“I do think there’s opportunity there to look deeper into those models to see are we helping to the extent that it looks like it is,” he told reporters following a Calgary police commission meeting Tuesday.

“The city of Calgary still has a significant occurrence event that we need to look into,” he added. “We’re by no means out of the woods.”

Within Calgary and Edmonton, the local geographic area with the highest rate of accidental overdoses related to all opioids was Eastwood in Edmonton, followed by Calgary Centre. However, 76 per cent of deaths in both Calgary and Edmonton took place outside these areas.

According to the report, 733 Albertans died from an apparent accidental overdose in 2017 — and, on average, two people die every day in Alberta from an opioid overdose.

As the latest numbers were released, the province announced the term of the Minister’s Opioid Emergency Response Commission will be extended for 18 months.

“The quarterly update shows there is still much more work to do to address the overdose crisis in Alberta,” said Elaine Hyshka, co-chair of the commission.

“Yet I’m encouraged by the actions taken and investments made this past year. This progress is in part due to the commitment and insights of commission members ... especially those with lived experience and those on the ground working to save lives.”