Ep. 16: Alberta’s Opioid Crisis — 'There's no end in sight'

Across Alberta, there were 482 opioid-related accidental deaths in the first nine months of 2017. Take a minute to let that number sink in. Nearly two Albertans are dying every single day from fentanyl and other opioids, and there’s no end in sight. This crisis is killing young men at a higher rate than anyone else. The majority of victims are dying in their own homes, and in Calgary, most fatalities are occurring outside the downtown core, in the suburbs. Behind the startling statistics are stories. There are partners, children, parents, aunts, uncles and friends left behind to grieve a life lost too soon. On this episode host Annalise Klingbeil and guest co-host Meghan Potkins speak to Rosalind Davis, the co-founder of Changing the Face of Addiction. In February 2016, Davis lost her partner Nathan to fentanyl after he developed a dependency on opioids that began with a painkiller prescription for a back injury. He was 34. Potkins and Klingbeil speak to Davis about what happened to Nathan and her advocacy work since his death. We also take a look at what stands out to Postmedia reporter Potkins after months of covering opioids and what’s being done to stop a crisis set to kill hundreds of Albertan’s by year’s end. As always, Kerianne Sproule makes us sound great. And, your feedback, advice, ideas, shares and iTunes reviews are appreciated. You can subscribe to The Confluence podcast on iTunes, Tunein, Google Play, Stitcher, Pocket Casts and Overcast, and follow us on Twitter or like the podcast on Facebook.