Central Alberta is seeing double drug trouble.
While opioid use has reached crisis proportions, an Alberta Health Services report shows an almost 200 per cent jump over the past five years in the number of Central Albertans using crystal meth and accessing addictions treatment.
Dr. Ifeoma Achebe, medical officer of health with Alberta Health Services’ central zone, said the reports show a gradual increase in crystal methamphetamine use since 2012-13.
“There’s overall been an increase in the use of recreational drugs. Crystal meth is cheap, easy to access, so it’s a good substitute for people who use crack cocaine,” Achebe said.
Across Alberta, there was a 166 per cent increase in the number of new meth cases between 2012-13 and 2017-18. AHS’s central zone experienced a 193 per cent jump. The south zone had the highest increase at 245 per cent. Calgary recorded a 209 per cent surge, and Edmonton experienced a 111 per cent increase.
Achebe said people high on meth can exhibit psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, delusions, hearing voices and violent behaviour.
“It can be a nuisance to the community, the neighbours where the drug user lives.”
And that’s when police are called upon to deal with out-of-control meth users, she said.
Achebe said the death rate for opioids is higher compared to meth, which is why the province is focused on opioids. An opioid overdose causes difficulty breathing, while meth may cause a stroke if the dose is high enough.
Kath Hoffman, executive director of the Safe Harbour Society, which runs a medical detox facility, said meth has been a problem for a few years, but it’s gotten worse.
“Meth shows itself right up there in our stats, close to alcohol, and that’s never happened before,” Hoffman said.
There’s also a lot of people using more than one drug at a time, she said.
Stacey Carmichael, executive director of the harm reduction agency Turning Point, said its needle distribution in Central Alberta is down 37 per cent.
“We do attribute that to the fact that in early 2017, we started distributing more inhalation supplies,” Carmichael said.
A survey done about a year ago showed meth was the local drug of choice. Meth can be injected, but most people typically smoke it. But using meth does not protect them from the opioid fentanyl, she said.
“Lots of people don’t know crystal meth is often contaminated with fentanyl, which is causing some overdoses and fatalities.”
Turning Point’s overdose prevention site, where people are monitored by someone to provide immediate life-saving measures if needed, does not have inhalation booths.
“That is why it’s so important to us that we’re able to move to a supervised consumption service, where we can provide inhalation rooms, like they are doing down in Lethbridge with great results,” Carmichael said.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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