Of the province’s largest municipalities, Grande Prairie has seen the biggest drop in EMS response to opioid-related events. Alberta Health says from January to March this year, there were 15 calls for a rate per 100,000 person years that is 68 per cent lower than what was seen in all of 2019.
It’s noted all major Alberta municipalities had a decrease in the rate of EMS responses to opioid-related events compared to the 2019 annual rate.
In that same time frame, the city recorded three apparent accidental drug poisoning fentanyl-related deaths and one death related to an opioid other than fentanyl. The fentanyl deaths give it a rate of 15.9 per 100,000 person years, a significant decrease from the 24 deaths recorded in 2019, giving it a rate of 32.2.
That was the highest rate of all major municipalities in Alberta by nearly 100 per cent. The sole non-fentanyl related death gives the city a rate of 5.3 per 100,000 person years, which is the highest in Alberta for the quarter.
Grande Prairie supervised consumption site has also seen fewer visitors this year. There were 3,172 visits over the first quarter of the year, down 14 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2019. The average monthly visits are down by four per cent.
Alberta Health says between January and March, there were 30 times when a drug poisoning needed intervention like oxygen, naloxone, and/or medical attendance. That works out to nine times out of every 1,000 visits.
