Photo: dreamstime.com

By Shane Clausing

opioid crisis

Grande Prairie records four opioid-related deaths between November & December

Mar 18, 2022 | 11:12 AM

Alberta Health says new figures released late Thursday night show there were four more people who died as a result of opioid-related poisonings in Grande Prairie between November and December this year.

Four people died from non-pharmaceutical poisonings in both November and December. In 2021, there were 43 opioid-related deaths reported in the Swan City, an increase of seven from 2020.

Of those 43 opioid-linked deaths recorded last year in Grande Prairie, 40 were linked to non-pharmaceutical opioids such as fentanyl and its analogues, heroin, and designer opiates.

November and December were two of the less deadly opioid-related death months recorded in 2021 for Grande Prairie.

From February until September the Swan City averaged between 4-6 deaths per month.

Plan Ahead

Why Would You Pre-Plan Your Funeral?

Apr 03, 2024

Dying away from home

What Happens if You Die Away From Home?

Mar 04, 2024

Flag Retiring Ceremony

What Do You Do With Worn-Out Flags?

Feb 01, 2024

While November and December was better news for Grande Prairie, numbers across the province continue to go up.

Over the last two months of 2021, 352 people died from drug-related poisonings. That is the most opioid-related deaths recorded on record in Alberta since data began being tracked in 2016.

There were exactly 176 opioid-related deaths in both November and December.

With 2021 wrapping up, 1,884 Albertans have lost their life via drug poisoning. To put that in perspective, 2020 was the previous deadliest month on record where 1,358 Albertans lost their life because of a drug posing.

The full report can be found here.