Lethbridge opioid deaths 2019 - Photo: Courtesy Alberta Health

By Lara Fominoff

Rate of fentanyl related deaths appears to be slowing in Lethbridge

Oct 1, 2019 | 1:26 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – According to the newly released Alberta Health 2019 second quarter “Opioid Surveillance Response Report,” an average of two Albertans died each day of a fentanyl related overdose.

That’s up from 1.5 per day, during the first quarter of the year. In total, 305 people have died so far in 2019 from accidental opioid poisoning. Most are men between the ages of 25 and 40.

The number of accidental fentanyl-related deaths in Lethbridge, however, appears to be slowing down. According to the Q1 report, there were 9 deaths, while in Q2, the total number from January to the end of June was 11.

When compared with the same time period in 2018. In the first half of 2018, there were 17 deaths recorded, while this year so far, there have been 11.

Lethbridge fentanyl related deaths – Photo: Courtesy Alberta Health

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The report does not provide specific numbers of deaths attributed to non-opioid related illicit drugs by city or health region, however, So far in 2019 there appear to be 32 deaths related to “other unintentional alcohol or drug related” incidents province wide.

Across Alberta so far in 2019 of the confirmed accidental fentanyl related deaths, 51 per cent had methamphetamine listed on the death certificate, followed by cocaine, at 25 per cent. Other substances including heroin make up the last 24 per cent.

Among all drug and alcohol poisoning deaths both accidental and suicide in 2019, opioids were directly involved in 81 per cent of deaths.

Supervised Consumption Sites

Lethbridge’s supervised consumption site has by far, the most visits overall, and per month.

Since the facility opened Feb. 28, 2018 and until the end of June 2019, there were nearly 250,000 visits. On average, Lethbridge’s SCS sees about 20,000 visits per month.

The SCS with the next highest number of visits was Calgary’s facility. Since January 2018, it has had just over 85,000 visits with an average of 5,565 visits per month.

SCS visits – Photo: Courtesy Alberta Health

The SCS in Lethbridge had 431 unique client visits per month between April and June 2019, while Calgary had 1,054 unique client visits per month during the same time period.

As for the number of overdoses, in Lethbridge during the second quarter there were 438 overdoses; down from 510 in the first three months of this year. Calgary’s facility recorded 185 overdoses, down from 183 between Jan. and March 2019.

There have not been any overdose deaths recorded at Lethbridge’s SCS (or any SCS in the province). Most opioid related deaths in Lethbridge have occurred in the downtown area, followed by the north side, and the south side of the city. There do not, according to the map provided in the report, appear to be any deaths in 2019 on the west side.

Emergency Medical Services

Grande Prairie and Lethbridge had the highest rates of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responses to opioid related events at just over 345 per 100,000 person years (GP) and 300 (L) between April and June of this year.

EMS calls per 100,000 person years – Photo: Courtesy Alberta Health

During the first quarter of the year, there were more than 400 EMS opioid related responses in Lethbridge per 100,000 person years.

Second quarter numbers relating to Rate of Emergency Department visits and hospitalizations are not available yet.