powered by:
aquaomega
more than 1,600 albertans died due to drug poisoning in 2022: government data
"our government will continue to improve access to addiction treatment and recovery supports by building recovery-oriented systems of care to save more lives and drive deaths down further"
2 minute read
we apologize, but this video has failed to load.
try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
more than 1,600 albertans died of a drug poisoning in 2022, according to new provincial data, representing a decrease of 222 deaths from one year earlier.
the province released new data thursday covering december 2022 and january 2023.
it showed there were 1,630 drug poisoning deaths throughout all of 2022, as well as 111 in the first month of this year. in comparison, there were 172 deaths in january 2022. the figures cover poisonings from opioids as well as other drugs.
december of last year saw 146 deaths, the third-highest of any month in 2022. february saw the most drug poisoning deaths with 183.
colin aitchison, spokesman for the mental health and addiction ministry, issued a statement following the release of the data.
“while each life lost to addiction is one too many, we are cautiously optimistic about the continued downward trend since the peak in late 2021,” he stated, referencing the 191 deaths recorded in november of 2021.
he also pointed to decreases in hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to opioid addictions.
“our government will continue to improve access to addiction treatment and recovery supports by building recovery-oriented systems of care to save more lives and drive deaths down further.”
advertisement
of all the drug poisoning deaths in 2022, nearly three-quarters, or 1,188 in total, were men.
that trend holds true except for one of the youngest age groups where deaths in women (19) outnumbered those of men (14) among those aged between 15 and 19
deaths were most frequent in those aged between 35 and 39 years old. three deaths occurred last year in children under the age of four.
fentanyl, methamphetamine and carfentanil were the three most common substances involved in acute accidental drug poisonings, followed by cocaine and alcohol.
over the last three months of 2022, more than half of opioid poisoning deaths in alberta, or 52 per cent, occurred in a private residence.
according to thursday’s data, edmonton saw 627 drug poisoning deaths in 2022, compared with 517 in calgary, 51 in red deer and 79 in lethbridge.
the last time there were fewer than 100 drug poisoning deaths in a given month was in april 2020.
if you or someone you know is using substances, do not use alone. if you are using alone, you can contact the national overdose response service at 1-888-688-nors for support, or download the brave or dors app.
twitter @bymatthewblack
share story
