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By Connor Gunn

Lethbridge area highest in Alberta for opioid deaths

Feb 10, 2021 | 1:04 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB– The latest report on substance consumption in the province has shown Lethbridge and the surrounding area saw a significant amount of opioid deaths in 2020.

Lethbridge currently sits at a death rate from opioids at 44.1 persons per population of 100,000.

The good news, as the report shows, the Alberta substance use surveillance system shows there were no deaths from drug use in November in the South Zone, including Lethbridge.

2020 statistics have come back with an exception for the month of December.

For 2020, the South Zone had a high amount of deaths from drug poisoning at 75, while the Calgary Zone recorded 371 and Edmonton at 372.

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With a much higher population at 371 deaths.

While Calgary and Edmonton had more deaths due to drugs, they also have higher populations.

When the cases are based on a per capita percentage, or based on numbers per 100,000 population, Lethbridge’s numbers are much higher.

The following is the death rate from opioids per population of 100,000 by area:

Calgary: 26.8

Edmonton: 36.3

Fort Mcmurray: 19.2

Grande Prairie: 40.5

Lethbridge: 44.1

Medicine Hat: 15.8

Red Deer: 43.1

Noting how high Lethbridge’s rate is, the South Zone’s rate in Alberta is only 26.3.

That number has dropped dramatically from when the report came out in December, without November’s statistics, the number was 32.2.

The Government of Alberta has launched a new interactive website with full details on substance use in the province. You can access it here.