South zone with highest rate of drug poisoning deaths

By KENDALL KING on February 16, 2023.

Experts are highlighting the complexity of quantifying substance use outcomes as new data shows southern Alberta with the highest rate of drug poisoning deaths, and second highest for ER visits and hospitalizations.

In the first three quarters of 2022, Alberta Health Services’ South zone, which includes Medicine Hat and Lethbridge, was reported as having a drug poisoning death rate of 43.9 per 100,000 people.

The Edmonton zone followed closely at 41.9, then Calgary, Central and North zones at 29.1, 21.6 and 20, respectively.

In regards to non-fatal drug poisoning-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations, the Edmonton zone took top spot, while the South moved second.

From January to September 2022, Edmonton reported rates of 299.6 ED visits and 102 hospitalizations per 100,000 people, compared to the South zone’s rates of 292.3 ED visits and 98 hospitalizations.

While the South zone’s high rates are largely dependent on numbers coming out of Lethbridge (in the first quarter of 2022, Lethbridge reported a drug poisoning death rate of 149.9 per 100,000 people; the next highest rate was 67 in Red Deer), Medicine Hat also experienced rates which surpass those of other large centres.

In the third quarter of 2022, Medicine Hat reported the second highest rate of drug poisoning deaths of 39.9, followed closely by Lethbridge of 39.4. Edmonton had the highest rate of 48.3.

The Medicine Hat Drug Coalition shared these numbers on its Facebook page, stating: “Although many in the city have great intentions n fixing this problem, it appears we are not yet doing enough.”

Katie Ayres, executive director of SafeLink Alberta, believes a number of factors could be responsible for high rates of drug poisoning in the city and region, but says the data available is not sufficient to draw conclusions.

“Without actual research being done into it, we can only give our best guess,” Ayres told the News. “We think the majority of the reasoning behind the statistics we’re seeing is how the drug supply in Canada has been increasingly toxic since COVID; and in Medicine Hat, specifically, we don’t have any supervised consumption services or overdose prevention services.”

Ayres theorizes Medicine Hat’s location may also play a role as it is not near to municipalities with supervised consumption or overdose prevention services sites, and is situated along the Trans-Canada Highway, a primary route for transporting drugs.

But Ayres emphasizes that more research is needed to draw concrete conclusions, as well as enhanced data collection and consolidation.

“Drug poisoning data is not necessarily super straightforward,” said Ayres. “For instance, EMS calls related to drug poisoning are not always included because a lot of responses don’t end up involving EMS at all. Our team, or Alberta Health Services’ team, or any of the other organizations that work in this sector might be responding, administering naloxone, and the person might refuse our request to call EMS, so it doesn’t get tracked.

“And then, realistically, there’s individuals in the community that are using in isolation (and) could be accessing the DORS app. But we don’t have all that information in one place, and even then there would probably be some gaps.”

Those seeking support for drug use can contact SafeLink Alberta’s Medicine Hat location by calling 403-527-5882.

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