Opioid deaths dropped across Canada last year. Alberta's decline was comparatively small

Opioid deaths dropped across Canada last year. Alberta's decline was comparatively small

Alberta reported slight drop in deaths, steep rise in EMS responses

When Canadian health officials expressed "cautious optimism" last week about declining opioid toxicity deaths, two out of the three provinces that account for most of the country's deaths could report the same trend.

But that figure looks different in Alberta.

Nationally, 5,630 opioid overdose deaths were reported last year, a 23-per-cent drop from the year before. Canada's health minister called it "real progress." Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta together account for nearly 80 per cent of those deaths.

But while Ontario (38 per cent fewer opioid toxicity deaths last year) and B.C.'s declines (22 per cent) largely matched the national trend, Alberta saw a much smaller drop of just four per cent.

On top of its smaller decline last year, EMS responses to suspected opioid-related overdoses jumped up roughly 65 per cent in Alberta last year, while both Ontario and B.C reported fewer EMS responses.

Health Canada spokesperson Mark Johnson partly attributed Alberta’s outlier status to changes in its illegal drug supply, with more fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, benzodiazepines and tranquilizers like medetomidine detected.

“The situation is not uniform across Canada, as drug markets and the illegal drug supply are not the same across the country,” said Johnson via email.

“They vary considerably from one region to another based on factors such as trafficking routes, the presence of organized crime, local demand and access to services.”

No ‘silver bullet’ to solve Canada’s toxic drug crisis: Health minister

Alberta's rate of opioid deaths per 100,000 people trailed only British Columbia and Yukon among all provinces and territories last year.

The federal government reported hospitalizations for opioid-related poisonings also increased in Alberta last year, but the provincial government's website indicates that total fell slightly.

The Alberta government did not provide a comment to CBC News when contacted about these statistics.

More hospitalizations in Alberta

DJ Larkin, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, also noted a variable drug supply could be leading to different results across the country.

But past government inaction, Larkin said, could be driving national stats, too.

“In places like B.C. and Ontario, we may be seeing a decline because so many people have already died. And that is not cause for celebration; it’s simply that we have acted so slowly," said Larkin.

Alberta saw a far steeper drop in deaths in 2024, following the deadliest year on record for opioid overdoses in the province.

But with EMS responses to opioid-related events rising, Elaine Hyshka argued this could be driven by illegal drugs being contaminated more often with sedatives.

The associate professor at the University of Alberta's School of Public Health pointed out that even when naloxone is applied to restore someone's breathing after an overdose, they could still be feeling the effects of sedatives, requiring more care and monitoring.

Fewer outreach teams and day shelter spaces could also lead to less timely overdose responses, she said.

“When there’s less people proactively out trying to identify people that may be at risk of overdose and supporting them, as well as less access to supervised consumption services in the province, then I think it's not necessarily a surprise to see that there's more 911 calls for EMS support," said Hyshka.

Differences between Edmonton and Calgary

Alberta’s two biggest cities saw very different overdose death totals last year.

Provincial stats show that while deaths in Calgary declined in line with the national trend, Edmonton actually recorded a rise.

Hyshka said the difference could come from different drug supplies. She added that a crackdown on public drug use could also be a factor in Edmonton.

Because declines in opioid-related deaths are being reported across Canadian provinces and U.S. states that have implemented different policy responses, Hyshka said it's unlikely the progress can be tied to any specific policy.

She's concerned recently announced plans to close supervised consumption sites in Calgary and Lethbridge could lead to spikes in EMS calls and mortality rates in areas around the shuttered sites.

She said health experts consistently advocate for a more varied array of addiction services.

“The best lesson I can suggest is to make sure that Alberta funds a full continuum of supports and recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution," said Hyshka.

“We still do have a lot of gaps in terms of the quality and availability of care."

Andrew Jeffrey is a multimedia journalist with CBC Calgary. He previously worked for CBC News in his hometown of Edmonton, reported for the StarMetro Calgary, and worked as an editor for Toronto-based magazines Strategy and Realscreen. You can reach him at andrew.jeffrey@cbc.ca.