The Alberta government says six people in Fort McMurray died from overdoses and drug poisonings between January and April this year – this compared to five reported deaths from the same time last year. Data shows a total of 16 people in Fort McMurray died in 2024, a downgrade from the 2023 height of 24 deaths. Researched information shows four deaths involved non-pharmaceutical opioids, three victims had methamphetamine and two deaths involved cocaine. One-third of deaths happened in the homes of the victims and another third took place in someone else’s home.
The other deaths are in a category marked “other” by Alberta Health. The province clarifies “other” could mean supportive housing, shelters, health care centres, correctional centres or residences with unclear ownership.
Emergency Medical Services in Fort McMurray responded to 12 calls involving opioids between January and March and 40 calls for all of 2024. Emergency calls related to opioids reached it’s height with 100 calls in 2022.
Opioid-related fatalities in the province continue to trend downwards as the province reported 93 deaths in April. These are the province’s lowest deaths since 2020. About 405 opioid-related deaths have been reported between January and April. Alberta has accounted for 59 of those deaths in April and 262 deaths so far this year.
“The disease of addiction is very complex with many factors that can contribute to an individual using illicit substances. Every life lost to the disease of addiction is one too many, and our deepest sympathies go out to all those who have lost a loved one,” said Nathaniel Dueck, a spokesperson for Alberta Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson, in a statement.
“Opioid-related deaths in Alberta are continuing to trend downwards for the first four months of 2025, compared to the first four months of 2024. While this is positive news, we know there is still more work to do. As of the last reporting period, the rate of opioid-related deaths in Alberta decreased by 39 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023.”
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