By Medicine Hat News on February 6, 2024.
@MedicineHatNews Fatal drug overdoses continued to move closer to a new record high in Medicine Hat last fall. According to the latest available numbers from the Substance Use Surveillance System, published by the provincial government, two fatalities related to opioid overdose were recorded in Medicine Hat in October. That brings the 2023 total to 34 over 10 months, where the record high is 36 from 2021. Through 10 months, Lethbridge had recorded 111 deaths, already well above the whole-year previous record of 77 in 2022. In the update. Calgary (541 through October) has eclipsed its previous 12-month total, while Edmonton (with 554) was approaching the 2021 record of 626. Among smaller centres, Red Deer has had 40 deaths in 2023, nine fewer than in 2022, though the record of 52 was set in 2018. Fort McMurray had 17, one more than the record set the year before. Grande Prairie’s 29 at Oct. 31 was only about two-thirds the previous year’s figure. 11