The rate of opioid-related deaths seemed to have declined and stabilized earlier this summer in Red Deer, but the crisis is unpredictable, says a local agency helping to reduce overdose deaths.
The Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System shows Red Deer had three opioid overdose deaths in June following three in May and four in April.
In the first three months of the year, the city reported a total of 20 deaths: seven in January, six in February and seven in March.
“I wouldn’t want to say we’re trending down. It’s still really up and down,” said Stacey Carmichael, executive director with central Alberta’s harm reduction agency Turning Point.
She said statistics can be helpful indicators, but society is nowhere near out of the woods.
“They are a good way of pointing out this tragic, unnecessary crisis that we’re in. But until the number is zero, there’s not too many celebrations to be had.”
Across Alberta, there were 98 deaths in June, which is a decline from 122 in May, 188 in April, 121 in March, 167 in February, and 160 in January.
“Any fatality is too many,” Carmichael said.
Related:
Red Deer reports three opioid-related deaths in May
In the first six months of this year, Alberta reported 786 opioid-related deaths, up from 722 during the first half of 2021. Red Deer had 30 deaths, up from 24 in 2021.
During those first six months, Red Deer’s overdose prevention site operated by Turning Point, had 18,806 visits by an average of 250 different community members per month, and staff responded to and reversed 916 suspected overdoses.
Carmichael said that doesn’t include the overdoses staff respond to at the agency’s main office, the NightReach team, or shelter staff.
Turning Point staff also distributed over 2,500 naloxone kits and provided overdose response training to over 440 community members.
Related:
App to help prevent fatal drug overdoses available province-wide
On International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, Turning Point is hosting a community barbecue at the Rotary Picnic Park Shelter, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Service providers will be onsite to provide education and resources, and people will also have access to overdose response training and a free meal while quantities last.
Carmichael said Turning Point is still helping people to understand that harm reduction is not contrary to recovery and that the family members of people with addictions need support.
“We have family members suffering out there because they don’t know where to go because there’s so much stigma and shame related to drug use.”
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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