Fentanyl deaths could reach 300 in Alberta by year's end, police warn

Alberta could see 300 deaths from fentanylby year's end if currenttrends surrounding the recreational use of the powerful opiate continue, a senior police officer warned the Calgary Police Commission Tuesday.

Describing the problem as a "public health crisis," Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta told commission members the response needs to go beyond just law enforcement.

"We're not just going to arrest our way out of it," he said.

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The supply side of fentanylis simply too abundant totackle head-on, so police are focusing their efforts on thedemandside of the drug though public education andawareness efforts aimed at decreasing use, Schiavatta told the commission, which oversees the Calgary Police Service.

Fentanyl has been linked to 145 deaths in Alberta between January and June, and Schiavetta said it's conceivable the death toll could reach 300 by the end of 2015.

Calgary saw 45 of those 145 deaths, he noted,marking a major increase from the 12 fentanyl-related fatalities recorded in the cityin all of 2014.