Lethbridge drug overdose deaths up 67 per cent over last year
The most recent provincial statistics on opioid poisonings and overdose deaths have just been released, and the numbers are distressing.
The number of drug overdose deaths in Lethbridge and province-wide increased by over 60 per cent in the first five months of 2021, compared to the same period last year.
In Lethbridge there were 25 drug-related deaths from January to May of 2021 according to the provincial government’s substance use surveillance dashboard, an Alberta Health site that keeps track of drug use, overdoses and deaths related to fentanyl and opioids in Alberta.
That is 10 more than during the first five months of 2020, where there were 15 deaths recorded, an increase of 67 per cent.
“We continue to see deaths,” said Ken Kissick, founder of the Streets Alive Mission, a non-profit group that offers support to the cities street population.
Kissick said agencies in Lethbridge have been watching a steady increase in the number of overdoses since the beginning of the pandemic.
“The lockdown created a sense of insecurity, a sense of hopelessness and despair, and for that addicted population they simply increase the amount of drugs they use, which increases the risk of overdose.”
“It’s just Russian roulette when you do drugs,” said Sandy Lee Iron Shirt-Bebe. “You’re either alive, or you’re not, you know.”
Iron Shirt-Bebe said she quit drinking and using drugs about 12 years ago, after her sister died.
Now she carries naloxone kits and checks on friends who are using drugs.
Sandy Lee Iron Shirt-Bebe – carries naloxone kits to revive friends overdosing
“A very close friend of mine, I would check on him six or seven times a day because he would be ODing every time I went there.” Iron Shirt-Bebe said she saved his life over 100 times.
“To this day he’s still alive,” she added.
Iron Shirt Bebe said she picked up five naloxone kits Wednesday morning, before making her rounds through downtown Lethbridge. She had used four of them before noon.
Kissick said staff at Streets Alive treat anywhere from three to five people a week right outside their front door, “It’s just the life we’re in right now with the street population.”
Provincially, overdose deaths are up significantly with 586 people dying as a result of drug or opioid poisoning. Lethbridge had the third-highest total behind Calgary and Edmonton, but per-capita Lethbridge had the highest death rate among the seven cities listed in the report.
Kissick said agencies are doing the best they can to connect with people and keep an eye on known users, but with the city still lacking recovery and treatment facilities, they are not expecting the death rate to go down anytime soon.
Correction
The original headline and story indicated the increase in overdose deaths was 167 per cent. The actual increase was 67 per cent.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.