A new report has found that one person died as a result of drug consumption in Lethbridge in January 2025. (Photo: Moussa81 | Dreamstime.com)

By David Opinko

One drug overdose death reported in Lethbridge in January

May 8, 2025 | 9:14 AM

The Government of Alberta has released its first report for 2025 on drug-related deaths.

In January, it says one person in Lethbridge died as a result of drug use. That is down from five in January 2024 and nine in 2023.

There were also four other deaths elsewhere in the South Health Zone in January 2025.

While even one overdose death is one too many, things appear to be trending in the right direction in Lethbridge.

The same reports found that 41 people in Lethbridge succumbed to drug use in 2024, a 64 per cent drop from the record number seen in 2023.

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The province previously told LNN that its model of recovery-oriented care is working for people suffering from addiction.

The government has opened facilities such as the Lethbridge Recovery Community and a Therapeutic Living Unit at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre. Another Recovery Community is set to open in 2026 in the Blood Tribe.

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Provincially, the most common age groups for drug poisoning deaths were 40-44 and 50-54. In our prior reporting, it has typically been the case that 35-39-year-olds were the most likely to die because of drug use.

Nearly three-quarters of victims (73 per cent) were men.

The full report can be found on the Government of Alberta’s website.

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