2023 drug-poisoning death numbers surpass 2022 total: data
According to the latest data released by the province, 140 Albertans died from drug-poisoning in November 2023, bringing the year’s total to 1,841.
When comparing only the first 11 months of the year, 2023 has a higher number of deaths than any year prior.
According to the Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System (ASUSS) with 1,841 deaths so far, 2023 has surpassed the yearly total for 2022 by more than 100. So far, last year had 34 fewer deaths than 2021 which was the highest year on record with 1,875. Data for December 2023 has not yet been released by the province.
Of the 140 newly reported deaths, 138, or 99 per cent, involved opioids. All but 135 of the 1,841 drug-poisoning deaths reported in Alberta during 2023 did not involve opioids.
Based on reports done on more than 924 people who died of accidental drug-poisoning last year, fentanyl was present in 80 per cent of deaths, methamphetamine in 63 per cent and carfentanil in 24 per cent. In Edmonton, when analyzing 586 deaths, those numbers were even higher with fentanyl present in 84 per cent of deaths, methamphetamine in 66 per cent and carfentanil in 34 per cent.
The age group with the highest number of drug-poisonings in 2023 was the 35- to 39-year-old demographic with 313 deaths. Sixty-nine per cent of those were male.
From a geographical standpoint, 50 of November's 140 deaths were in Edmonton, 41 were in Calgary and the other 49 occurred elsewhere in the province.
Of the more than 1,800 drug-poisoning deaths reported in 2023 thus far, 36 per cent have occurred in Edmonton and 33 per cent in Calgary.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
'Oh, there you go': Tyler Black, son of veteran broadcaster Rod Black, has memorable Major League Baseball debut
Canadian baseball player Tyler Black made a major splash in his first-ever big league game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Groundbreaking American guitarist Duane Eddy dies age 86
Guitarist Duane Eddy, best known for twangy riffs on hits such as 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Cannonball,' has died at the age of 86.
Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
Weight-loss drug Wegovy available in Canada starting May 6
The makers of Ozempic say their weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Ontario man loses $1,500 applying for Nexus cards on social media
The trusted traveller program between Canada and the United States is extremely popular and almost two million Canadians have a Nexus card.