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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.