Alberta RCMP sounded the alarm on fentanyl overdoses in a news release Wednesday morning, citing a 100% increase in overdoses in 2023 from years prior. Many of the overdoses took place in rural areas, and many are related to the practice of “cutting” fentanyl, a process of mixing the drug with other substances to reduce the cost. The news release said Alberta RCMP “responded to over 100% more drug overdoses than in all of 2022,” which were frequently “suspected fentanyl overdoses with a high fatality rate.”The numbers are more troubling because they are just the ones the RCMP reports to the Coroners Office, and exclude the major cities in Calgary and Edmonton.Coinciding with the rise of overdoses is the 24% increase in naloxone deployments, a drug that can reverse opioid-related overdoses — however, it loses effectiveness when the opioid is cut with other substances. From January to August 2023, there were 1262 opioid related deaths in Alberta, which the RCMP said is up by 255 deaths compared to the same time period in 2022.“The Alberta RCMP is issuing a warning to the public, reminding them that street drugs are not always what they appear to be,” the RCMP press release states. “Furthermore, drugs marketed as fentanyl may in fact be a mixture of unknown potency and characteristics, making a user’s “normal dose” potentially more dangerous. The increase in overdoses, and the possible resistance to naloxone, suggest that fatal overdoses may occur more often.”Signs of fentanyl overdose include “slow, irregular and shallow breathing, pinpoint pupils, muscle stiffness, seizures and unconsciousness,” police said. The police recommended the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program for people struggling with drug addiction. There is a hotline available at 1-866-332-2322. The RCMP National Chemical Precursor Diversion Program and the Federal Policing program are collaborating with Health Canada to combat the rise in fentanyl use. Domestic and international partners such as Federal Serious and Organized Crime, the Alberta Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response (CLEAR) Team, and the Integrated Border Enforcement Team are also working together with officials to reduce the accessibility to the drug and units like the General Investigative Sections, Crime Reductions Units, and Major Crime Units, to “investigate and build cases to dismantle the high-volume” of drug traffickers.
Alberta RCMP sounded the alarm on fentanyl overdoses in a news release Wednesday morning, citing a 100% increase in overdoses in 2023 from years prior. Many of the overdoses took place in rural areas, and many are related to the practice of “cutting” fentanyl, a process of mixing the drug with other substances to reduce the cost. The news release said Alberta RCMP “responded to over 100% more drug overdoses than in all of 2022,” which were frequently “suspected fentanyl overdoses with a high fatality rate.”The numbers are more troubling because they are just the ones the RCMP reports to the Coroners Office, and exclude the major cities in Calgary and Edmonton.Coinciding with the rise of overdoses is the 24% increase in naloxone deployments, a drug that can reverse opioid-related overdoses — however, it loses effectiveness when the opioid is cut with other substances. From January to August 2023, there were 1262 opioid related deaths in Alberta, which the RCMP said is up by 255 deaths compared to the same time period in 2022.“The Alberta RCMP is issuing a warning to the public, reminding them that street drugs are not always what they appear to be,” the RCMP press release states. “Furthermore, drugs marketed as fentanyl may in fact be a mixture of unknown potency and characteristics, making a user’s “normal dose” potentially more dangerous. The increase in overdoses, and the possible resistance to naloxone, suggest that fatal overdoses may occur more often.”Signs of fentanyl overdose include “slow, irregular and shallow breathing, pinpoint pupils, muscle stiffness, seizures and unconsciousness,” police said. The police recommended the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program for people struggling with drug addiction. There is a hotline available at 1-866-332-2322. The RCMP National Chemical Precursor Diversion Program and the Federal Policing program are collaborating with Health Canada to combat the rise in fentanyl use. Domestic and international partners such as Federal Serious and Organized Crime, the Alberta Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response (CLEAR) Team, and the Integrated Border Enforcement Team are also working together with officials to reduce the accessibility to the drug and units like the General Investigative Sections, Crime Reductions Units, and Major Crime Units, to “investigate and build cases to dismantle the high-volume” of drug traffickers.
