Edmonton region hits all-time monthly peak in opioid-related deaths – CBC

Growing carfentanil use is concerning: provincial government

Jul 03, 2025

There were more opioid-related deaths in March than in any previous month on record in the Edmonton zone, according to the latest government data.

Two experts say more should have been done in the lead-up to the spike in fatalities.

Eighty-seven people died of opioid drug poisoning in March, making that the highest amount of opioid-related deaths in Alberta’s capital region since authorities began tracking it publicly in 2016.

“It’s very horrific, frankly, to see such a big spike in deaths in Edmonton,” said Elaine Hyshka, Canada Research Chair in Health Systems Innovation at the University of Alberta School of Public Health.

“We’re almost 10 years into this crisis. And so the fact that the numbers here are getting a lot higher, it’s really troubling.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-drug-poisoning-opioid-1.7575814