Overdoses of opioid more toxic than fentanyl increasing in Edmonton: Recovery Alberta

Overdoses of a synthetic opioid that may be 100 times stronger than fentanyl are on the rise in Edmonton, according to an Alberta health agency.

Recovery Alberta is warning that carfentanil is considered extremely dangerous, and it should be assumed illicit drugs in Edmonton contain it.

The agency says the presence of carfentanil, which is not approved for human use and only legal for large animal sedation by veterinarians, in opioid-related deaths is “very concerning” – especially in Alberta’s capital.

Sixty-eight per cent of opioid deaths in Alberta from January to May of this year involved carfentanil – up from 10 per cent in 2024. In Edmonton, that number jumped from 17 to 78 per cent, according to Recovery Alberta.

The Alberta health agency adds 88 per cent of all carfentanil-related deaths in Alberta during that period took place in Edmonton.

According to the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE), microgram-level amounts of carfentanil can cause life-threatening overdoses. The extremely potent synthetic opioid is up to 100,000 times stronger than morphine.