Calgary's fentanyl crisis: A close look at the numbers

The Alberta governmentsays343 people diedof apparent drug overdoses related tofentanyllast year up from257 in 2015.

But Calgary has consistently seen more deaths than any other health region.

A report fromAlberta Health says the Calgary census metropolitan area which includes Calgary,Airdrie, Black Diamond,Cochrane, High RiverandOkotoks had38 per cent morefentanyldeaths in 2016 than the Edmonton area.

Here's a look at the numbers going back to 2014.

The province says naloxone, which temporarilyblocks the effects of an overdose,is being made an unscheduled drug allowinganyone to get a kit without a prescription.

First responders will now be provided with injectablenaloxonekitsand trainingat no cost, but not everyone is on board.

"The Calgary Police Service is grateful for the province's efforts to tackle thisopioidpublic health crisis,"said spokesmanMike Nunn.

"However, the CPS will be requesting the provincial government extend the program to include nasal naloxoneas well as the injectable format. Nasal naloxonereduces the risk of improper use both for police members and the public. It also eliminates the possibility of accidental exposure by contaminated needles."

Naloxone kits used more on men

Calgary police have ordered 250 additional nasal kits that they hope to roll out to officers by the end of February.

The province says the Edmonton zonehad the largest volume of naloxone kits dispensed last year, with an average of 70 kits per month. Calgary was second with an average of 47 kits each month.

"Across Alberta, 164 kits were dispensed by community pharmacies a month on average," said the Alberta Health report."The median age of an individual receiving a naloxone kit was 35 years, and 57 per cent were male."

The province says80 per cent of fentanyl-related deathswere men.

ER visits spike

In 2016, emergency medical servicesin Alberta responded to2,267 opioid-related events and 84 per cent of these events occurred inlarger urbancentres.

Calgary had 988.

Thehighest concentration of EMS responses in 2016 to opioid-related events were Calgary'sdowntown areas, including the downtown East Village, Beltline and West End. Forest Lawn in the city's southeast was alsomentioned.

But while the highest concentration of EMS responses was in central areas of the city, it seems deaths related to fentanyllast year moved outside the core.

Calgary's central urban core is defined as downtown (West End and East Village), Eau Claire, Chinatown, the Beltline, Connaught/Cliff Bungalowand Victoria Park.

"Approximately 25 per cent of deaths that occurred in the cities of Edmonton and Calgary were among individuals with no fixed address or an unknown home address," said Alberta Health in its report.

Several communities including Calgary and Edmonton have been promised fundingfrom the provinceto establish supervised consumption services.