28 Mar More Addiction Services in Alberta Needed Following Opioid Report
More Canadians died of opioid overdoses in 2017 than ever before, according to new information released by Health Canada.
In 2016, 2,861 people died of fatal overdoses with 88% of them being accidental. In the first nine months of 2017, 2,923 people died with 92% of them being accidental overdoses. That’s an increase of 45%. Of those deaths, 72% of them are attributed to fentanyl.
Andy Bhatti, Professional Interventionist, says these numbers are shocking, especially knowing these people could have been saved if they went into drug treatment after having an intervention.
Government officials in Ottawa announced new measures to make it easier for doctors to give methadone and pharmaceutical-grade heroin. But Andy knows while this is a good start, more needs to be done.
Accidental overdoses in Alberta
In a graph created by the Government of Canada, it shows in 2016 there were 606 deaths related to opioids in Alberta. In the next graph, it shows that from January to September, there were 546 deaths in Alberta.
Andy Bhatti knows first hand that Alberta’s opioid crisis is continuing to grow and can expect that these numbers will significantly increase.
“I provide interventions in Alberta because the demand is increasing. With the fentanyl and the opioid and cocaine crisis in Alberta, it makes it the second worst province in Canada for drug addiction. The province is also in the top three provinces with the worst available resources.”
According to the new information, 75% of the deaths in Alberta are men while 26% are female.
Seeing how 92% of overdoses in Canada have been accidental, Andy knows the answer and it’s drug treatment, drug rehab and treatment centres in Alberta.
Andy works with families, teenagers, professional athletes and unions in the oil fields of Alberta to help people get the help they need. While the wait times are drug treatment centres in Alberta are long, Andy can help the addict find another drug rehab elsewhere.
Methadone Treatment
The number of people seeking treatment for their opioid addictions are no less staggering than the death rate.
Just beside Alberta, in British Columbia, 18,000 people are undergoing addiction treatment with the use of methadone or suboxone, a newer treatment.
Getting the Drugs
Many Canadians are getting hooked on opioid prescriptions given by a doctor. In 2016, 21.5 million prescriptions were written – up 6.8% from 2012. And according to the CBC, 20% of Canadian seniors received at least one opioid prescription from 2015-2016.
And that’s just the just the legal stuff.
Book an Intervention Today
Andy struggled with addictions himself and understands the process many addicts go through to being accepted into a drug treatment centre in Alberta. It’s not an easy journey, but if Andy and the hundreds of people who have been helped by Andy Bhatti and professional drug and alcohol counsellors can do it, anyone can.
The programs at Andy Bhatti intervention and Addiction Services allow clients to complete written exercises daily that encourage them to make the necessary changes in their lives to lead a clean and sober life.
Addictions are rarely felt by only one person, and Andy helps those in need of his services to repair their family lives as well as other relationships. He also assists in assessing financial damages, psychological issues, coping habits and breaking deeply ingrained habits.
Andy now offers personalized addiction services to help those who can’t do an Alberta drug rehab program due to their work or family life. He can also provide a professional Doctor’s note for individuals to provide their work, so they can discreetly deal with their addictions while they take time off.
If you, or a loved one is struggling with addictions, please contact us today. An intervention could save a very valuable life.