Thread by @JunkerAnna

NEW: The province has finally released the latest drug poisoning deaths. 176 Albertans died in both November and December, the highest ever.

A total 1,758 Albertans died of a drug poisoning in 2021. #ableg #abpoli #abhealth #overdosecrisis #yeg #yyc

The province also added deaths to previous months:

Oct: 162 deaths (prev. 153)
Sept: 163 (prev. 156)
August: 136 (prev. 129)
July: 143 (prev. 140)
June: 143 (prev. 142)
May: 138 (prev. 137)
April: 126 (prev. 122)
March: 135 (unchanged)
Feb: 114 (unchanged)
Jan: 146 (prev. 144)

Opioid-specific deaths in Alberta 2021
Nov: 171
Dec: 175*
*Highest recorded

2021 Total: 1,602

Drug poisoning deaths in Edmonton:
Nov: 72*
Dec: 70
2021 Total: 666
*Highest recorded

Opioid-specific deaths in Edmonton:
Nov: 68
Dec: 70*
*Highest recorded

2021 Total: 618

Drug poisoning deaths in Calgary:
Nov: 53
Dec: 56*
2021 Total: 555
*Highest recorded

Opioid-specific deaths for Calgary:
Nov: 53
Dec: 55*
2021 Total: 498
*Highest recorded

Also notable, there has been a slight increase to 2020's death total. 1,358 Albertans died in 2020 (the previously recorded total was 1,351).

Deaths increased by 29.4% in 2021 from 2020.

Here is a comparison:
In 2020, BC reported 1,767 drug poisoning deaths.
In 2021, they recorded 2,224 deaths.

This is an increase of 25.8 per cent.

#abpoli #bcpoli