So far this year, Grande Prairie has had the highest rate of fatal fentanyl overdoses of all urban cities in Alberta. There were nine as of June 30th, giving it a rate of 23.4 for every 100,000 person years.
In 2016, there were a total of 10 deaths from an apparent overdose related to fentanyl in GP. The rate then was 13.4, which was the second highest behind Red Deer at 21. There was also one death from an opioid other than fentanyl last year.
Northern Alberta overall has the third highest rate in the province. There were 28 apparent fatal overdoses from fentanyl in Alberta Health Services’ North Zone first six months of the year for a rate of 11.4 per 100,000 person years.
That’s just a few points less than the Edmonton Zone at 11.7 and well behind the Calgary Zone at 13.1. The north was fourth out of the five zones in 2016 with 32 deaths for a rate of 6.5.
AHS notes that the North Zone has seen a decrease in emergency department visits related to opioid use and
substance misuse from the fourth quarter of 2016 to the first quarter of 2017.
The full 2017 second quarter opioid report can be found here.