Airdrie RCMP responded to 13 overdoses in 2022 and 10 in 2023, according to local RCMP.
Among those overdoses, there was one death in 2022 and two deaths in 2023.
“Airdrie RCMP recognize the impact addiction and substance abuse has on communities,” stated James McConnell of the Airdrie RCMP’s Community Policing Program. “Fewer overdose calls from 2022 to 2023 have not changed substance abuse as a priority for Airdrie RCMP. Airdrie RCMP recognizes substance abuse is a complex community issue requiring a multifaceted approach with community stakeholders.”
While Airdrie RCMP saw slightly fewer drug poisonings in 2023 than 2022, this last year looked a little more bleak for the majority of Alberta.
Alberta RCMP responded to 1,026 suspected drug overdoses between January and November 2023, more than twice the suspected overdoses in all of 2022, according to an RCMP release.
About a third of those cases resulted in death, and many were related to the practice of cutting fentanyl with other substances.
New Solutions Needed
Local volunteer outreach worker in Airdrie, Samantha Ginter, has noticed drastic changes in the street supply, making drug poisonings more complex.
“On top of fentanyl, we're now seeing fentanyl with benzodiazepines or fentanyl [with Xylazine], and that increases somebody's chance of having a drug poisoning,” she said.
Naloxone works for opioids like fentanyl, heroin, morphine, and codeine, but Ginter has noticed a lot more rescue breathing is being required on top of naloxone injections.
Naloxone is a fast-acting drug used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid poisonings, according to Health Canada.
“The presentations of the poisoning are a lot different,” Ginter said. “It's not just reduced breathing, it's rigidity and seizures. They've become a lot more difficult to handle and deal with.”
Ginter started a mobile based volunteer outreach group called ‘Your Journey’ in 2021, which works directly with people who use drugs to ensure they remain connected, safe, and alive.
She said Airdrie doesn’t provide a lot of support for drug users.
“We don't even have addiction specific counsellor anymore,” Ginter said. “Through Alberta Health Services (AHS), we have just mental health counsellor that also does substance use counselling. We don't have detox up here. We don't have treatment. And as of right now, we still only have just myself who offers harm reduction supplies.”
She believes there is always going to be a demand for drugs, and rather than cracking down on drug use and drug users, there should be a focus on harm reduction options.
Alberta’s current focus on a mainly recovery-oriented system of care is not helping, she said.
While some people benefit from treatment, not everyone is ready for that step and it may actually be hurting them, she said.
“If they're not in a place where they want to stop using, all that [treatment] is doing is actually lowering their tolerance, which significantly increases their risk of having a drug poisoning and a fatal drug poisoning,” Ginter said.
Ginter started Your Journey in September of 2021 after her partner died earlier that year, who was set to go to outpatient treatment the following day.
The last batch he used was a lot stronger than what his body was accustomed to and he died alone in his house. With access to safe supply, Ginter believes he would have made it to treatment the following day.
Detox and treatment options are necessary, but Ginter said decriminalization, a safe supply, and safe consumption sites would provide people the opportunity to make healthier choices.
“Healthier choices for a person doesn't have to be abstinence from all drugs, healthier choices can mean they’ve made it to their doctors appointment or have received stable housing or stable employment,” she said. “It could mean that rather than injecting 20 times a day, they've gone down to 10 times a day because their life outside of their drug use has become more stable.”
Criminalizing drugs criminalizes the users, which creates more barriers to get housing, education, or employment.
A positive change in Airdrie is the increase of naloxone distribution at pharmacies throughout Airdrie, Ginter said.
“Rather than having to go up and ask [for naloxone], some places, oftentimes Shoppers, will have them just on the counter for people to take,” she said. “It helps to reduce that stigma.”
Most dealing with opioid addictions in Airdrie are not visible
Airdrie doesn’t have a visible drug use population, and most of the people Ginter works with have families and jobs, or are just kids, making Airdrie unique from Calgary or Edmonton in terms of drug use, she said.
Sometimes it’s harder for these individuals to open up about their drug use as they risk losing their housing, employment, their family, or their children, she added.
As a tight-knit community, there is also a social aspect of reaching out for help that creates a barrier for users in Airdrie.
As of September, 1,411 Albertans have died of drug poisonings in 2023, according to the province's substance use surveillance system. AHS EMS has been dispatched to nearly 9,000 opioid-related calls this year.
For those struggling with drug use and want help, reach out to Your Journey via Facebook or Instagram, call Ginter at (250) 870-1102, or email [email protected].
Someone will respond within 24 hours and Your Journey can provide harm reduction supplies, safer using supplies, and education on safety for users. Supplies include injection, inhalation, naloxone, clothing, hygiene, and drug testing strips.
