Province setting up online portal to assist with addiction recovery

EDMONTON (660 NEWS) — As the province continues to deal with rising COVID-19 numbers, it also saw record-breaking opioid overdoses in 2020.

Premier Jason Kenney and Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jason Luan announced a new online dashboard that outlines the effect of the opioid crisis and to help with addiction recovery.

The new dashboard is the most detailed and comprehensive reporting system in Canada.

Kenney says the pandemic has been one of the largest factors that have lead to the increase of overdoses.

“With many small businesses closing, household incomes dropping and reduced contact with family, friends and loved ones the toll on mental and emotional health has increased significantly,” he said.

“This new data system will give us better insights into addiction issues, help us respond with better measures to support recovery, and ultimately support our overall goal of protecting lives and livelihoods through this pandemic and beyond.”

Kenney says effects of addiction extend beyond opioids.

For example, he says in third Q, Alberta saw 11500 admissions to hospital due to alcohol.

It was 2940 admissions for opioids.

Says better data collection can better adjust policy.#yeg #yyc #ableg #covid19ab

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) December 18, 2020

During the announcement, Kenney was asked if Canada Emergency Response Benefit payments helped in contributing to overdoses and how the government could address it.

“At some level, it’s about risk management. You have to provide a basic income to everybody to be able to survive, but I think all governments need to learn from what happened here this year and see how we can better manage income support programs for people struggling with addiction,” Kenney added.

In July, Alberta saw a record number of deaths in the province’s history with 142 due to overdoses.

“However, there are some encouraging trends in these numbers that are cause, we hope, for optimism. Because by October that number of fatalities from overdoses went down by 33 per cent,” Kenney said.

The province also had another record with 27,641 naloxone kits distributed in July, August and September.

Alberta has committed $140 million over four years to enhance the mental health and addiction care system and create more publicly funded treatment spaces.

This funding includes $40 million specifically to support the opioid response.

Anyone struggling with addiction can call the toll-free and confidential Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322 for information and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.