The number of overdose deaths in Lethbridge has continued to drop, but harm reduction advocates warn that may not tell the whole story. The southern Alberta city is on track to see its fewest drug overdose deaths in almost a decade. January through November of 2025 saw 14 overdose deaths across all substances. The fewest deaths in years tracked was 18 in 2016. The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said this follows a provincial trend, saying in a statement, “We are continuing to see an overall decrease of about 39 per cent in opioid-related overdose deaths in Alberta since the peak in 2023.” Harm reduction groups are also thrilled by the news. 2025 represents a significant drop from the all-time high of 122 overdose deaths in Lethbridge in 2023. “I think it’s great. It’s encouraging. We think that any reduction in deaths is great. Every single life saved is great,” said Amber Jensen, Moms Stop the Harm Lethbridge representative. While the drop in deaths is good news, it may not mean fewer people using drugs. Narcan kits have become more widely available in public spaces and through use by outreach teams. The number of overdoses reversed isn’t tracked. Someone who has had an overdose reversed can still be left with serious health complications. “There still is a lot of overdoses occurring that maybe aren’t resulting in deaths, and that’s because we’ve really increased our community capacity to react to overdoses,” said Jensen. “I think in the last few months, we have had more people carrying Narcan.” The province says there’s still more to do to tackle the issue of overdoses. More investment is being made into making recovery spaces available. The province said, “While we have made significant strides toward responding to the addiction crisis, there is still more work to do.” “We continue to build more recovery communities across the province, implement compassionate intervention and continue to deliver recovery-oriented treatment and supports,” the province said.
