â–º Listen Live
â–º Listen Live

Fentanyl-related deaths in Lethbridge on the decline

Some good news when it comes to the number of people dying in Lethbridge from apparent accidental opioid overdoses related to fentanyl.

The second quarter Alberta Opioid Response Surveillance Report was released by the province this week.

It shows Lethbridge has seen 11 suspected fentanyl-related deaths during the first half of 2019 (January-June). That’s compared with 17 during the same six month period in 2018.

The report issued by Alberta Health, says there were 116 fentanyl-related deaths in Calgary in the first have of 2019. That is by far, the highest in the province.

The full report can be found here: 2019 Alberta Opioid Response Report

The report also goes through Supervised Consumption Sites. It indicates the Lethbridge SCS is, without a doubt, the most-heavily used in the province. The facility had record 248,012 visits between February 2018 until June 2019.

There’s no other Supervised Consumption Site in Alberta that even comes close to those numbers. The Lethbridge location has been said to also be the most heavily-used of its kind in North America if not the world.

Averaged out over the 16 months it’s been in operation, the Lethbridge SCS sees roughly 15,500 visits a month.

Overall however, in the second quarter of 2019, there were 153 apparent accidental poisoning deaths related to fentanyl in Alberta. By comparison, there were 135 of these deaths in the first quarter of 2019.

Patrick Siedlecki
Patrick Siedlecki
Pat has been a mainstay in the CJOC News department from the time the station launched in 2007. He's been in the position of News Director since then and has been anchoring daily news casts as well as reporting and working behind the scenes. Community is important to him and keeping CJOC listeners and readers informed about what's happening across southern Alberta and beyond. Pat has been in radio broadcasting for the past 24 years, starting in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island in 1997 and then moving up island to Nanaimo for another few years before heading to Lethbridge in 2007. Pat grew up in the small Saskatchewan farming town of Foam Lake. After high school, he went to Western Academy Broadcasting College (WABC) in Saskatoon prior to moving to the island. Pat also spent several years broadcasting hockey in the BCHL as well as seven years as the radio voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL. Pat has been working at Cornerstone Funeral Home in Lethbridge as a Certified Life Celebrant and Funeral Assistant since 2016. News and sports have always been Pat's passion from the time he was a teenager and he's always been grateful to have had the opportunity to make that part of what's been a fun and long radio career!
- Advertisement -

cjoc Now playing play

ckbd Now playing play

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

Bike tune-up event to shine light on safety and maintenance for local kids

BikeLane in Lethbridge is teaming up with the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters for a bicycle tune-up event.

Another confirmed measles case in Taber

Alberta Health Services has been notified of people with confirmed measles in the South Zone, who have been in public settings while infectious.  

Hurricanes make nine selections during 2025 WHL Prospects Draft 

The Lethbridge Hurricanes selected nine players in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.

ASIRT investigation into 2022 RCMP Pincher Creek incident concluded, officer cleared

An RCMP officer involved in an incident where he used his stun gun in June 2022, is said to have done so legally.

Oki Sign to celebrate Blackfoot culture and welcome residents, visitors

A new vibrant public art installation has been unveiled by the Downtown Lethbridge BRZ. 
- Advertisement -