On May 31, 2024 Eric Engler, Chief of Staff, Ministers Office, Mental Health and Addiction made the following comment to Janet Eremenko’s statement on the announcement of a new recovery community for Grande Prairie with an expected completion date of 2027 and concerning the state of the toxic drug crisis in Alberta today.

Images of her statement are below:

Mr. Engler replied:
Great recognition that recovery is possible I’m curious what exactly you would like to see for harm reduction. Currently in AB:

record high naloxone distribution
record high OAT initiation w/new meds like Sublocade
drug consumption in major centres w/ no capacity issues
needle distribution across the province
increasing access to housing and shelter options for people
Specifics are good. Treatment centres aren’t the only response. There’s much more. Please be specific about what you’d like to see expanded and we can have a real conversation

Elaine Hyshka: Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Health Systems Innovation @UAlbertaSPH Substance use and public health replied:

SCS utilization is half of what it was pre-pandemic. Many people have switched to smoking and the province’s data show it’s the main mode of use amongst peoplewho died of OD.
Drop the PHN requirements and support the sites to incorporate inhalation.
The HR (harm reduction) supplies budget is too tight, funding shortfalls have contributed to a lack of some supplies (like test strips, different kinds of stems and pipes).
Emerging data show accumulated fentanyl residue on smoking equipment is an OD hazard. Need more $$ for supplies and staff.
YEG’s homeless population has doubled since the pandemic. Build + fund more permanent supportive housing and introduce/enhance targeted support to prevent ppl from ending up homeless in the first place. Too many ppl being discharged into homeless from hospital and jails.
It is excellent to see OAT (Opioid Agonist Treatment) initiation increasing and glad to see investment in this area. But our dashboard numbers suggest we have just over half the amount of ppl being dispensed OAT relative to BC.
We should be modelling prevalence of OUD (Opioid Use Disorder) in Alberta and scaling up further to ensure that access is matching population need. Also critical that anyone attending a bed-based program are strongly encouraged to start, stabilize, and be discharged on medication.
The province is doing a lot to support ppl in recovery (recovery on campus ) but what are we doing to prevent problematic substance use in the first place?
Need to implement evidence-based universal prevention programs that support families and communities to reduce adolescent risk behaviors like early initiation into substance use.
Important to also monitor retention in OAT, if it’s declining we need to be willing to prescribe a broader range of medications to meet ppl’s needs and revise care models with an eye towards increasing flexibility and patient satisfaction/support.
I have more suggestions, happy to talk to either of you any time. I know we all agree the current situation isn’t good. I am confident we can bring down the death rate with more coordinated action and a willingness to try new things.