Using health service data to understand unregulated toxic drug deaths in Alberta (2018–2023): an ecological study
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- 2Inner City Health and Wellness Program, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- 3Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- 4Independent Researcher, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- 5School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- 6Kainai First Nation, Alberta, Canada
Abstract
Introduction: Ten years into the most acute phase of the toxic drug crisis in Canada, trends in drug-related deaths remain poorly understood. This is hindered by delayed reporting of drug deaths in some provinces, including Alberta. We used publicly available emergency medical services (EMS) and supervised consumption site (SCS) utilization data to examine their associations with drug poisoning deaths to assess if these measures could serve as reliable proxies for fatalities to support evidence-based public health responses.
Methods: Data on Alberta-wide EMS dispatches for opioid poisoning, Alberta-wide drug deaths, and SCS drug poisoning events at the SCS in Calgary from January 2018 to March 2023 were analyzed. We used linear regression modelling to investigate the association between EMS dispatches and drug deaths (by month) and between SCS drug poisoning events and drug deaths (by month).
Results: Significant associations were found between drug-related deaths in Alberta and both the number of EMS dispatches (β = .06, 95% CI: 0.05–0.06) and SCS drug poisoning events (β = .73, 95% CI: 0.57–0.88), suggesting these measures mirror drug-related deaths in the province. Inverse associations were also found between drug-related deaths and SCS visits as well as visits in which drugs were consumed.
Conclusion: Drug poisoning events recorded in EMS or SCS data may serve as a proxy for understanding trends in drug deaths. These alternative data are often publicly available and may help inform public health response to periods of increased death risk when official death data are delayed or unavailable.
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BibTeX
@article{mathias2026using,
title = {{Using health service data to understand unregulated toxic drug deaths in Alberta (2018–2023): an ecological study}},
author = {Holly Mathias and Karen V. Lithgow and Euan Thomson and Claire Benny and Esther Tailfeathers and Elaine Hyshka},
journal = {Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada : Research, Policy and Practice},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.24095/hpcdp.46.7/8.02},
url = {https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.46.7/8.02},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Using health service data to understand unregulated toxic drug deaths in Alberta (2018–2023): an ecological study
AU - Holly Mathias
AU - Karen V. Lithgow
AU - Euan Thomson
AU - Claire Benny
AU - Esther Tailfeathers
AU - Elaine Hyshka
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada : Research, Policy and Practice
DO - 10.24095/hpcdp.46.7/8.02
UR - https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.46.7/8.02
AB - Introduction: Ten years into the most acute phase of the toxic drug crisis in Canada, trends in drug-related deaths remain poorly understood. This is hindered by delayed reporting of drug deaths in some provinces, including Alberta. We used publicly available emergency medical services (EMS) and supervised consumption site (SCS) utilization data to examine their associations with drug poisoning deaths to assess if these measures could serve as reliable proxies for fatalities to support evidence-based public health responses. Methods: Data on Alberta-wide EMS dispatches for opioid poisoning, Alberta-wide drug deaths, and SCS drug poisoning events at the SCS in Calgary from January 2018 to March 2023 were analyzed. We used linear regression modelling to investigate the association between EMS dispatches and drug deaths (by month) and between SCS drug poisoning events and drug deaths (by month). Results: Significant associations were found between drug-related deaths in Alberta and both the number of EMS dispatches (β = .06, 95% CI: 0.05–0.06) and SCS drug poisoning events (β = .73, 95% CI: 0.57–0.88), suggesting these measures mirror drug-related deaths in the province. Inverse associations were also found between drug-related deaths and SCS visits as well as visits in which drugs were consumed. Conclusion: Drug poisoning events recorded in EMS or SCS data may serve as a proxy for understanding trends in drug deaths. These alternative data are often publicly available and may help inform public health response to periods of increased death risk when official death data are delayed or unavailable.
SN - 2368-738X
ER -