A nationwide opioid crisis has taken a back seat to the impact of alcohol in the Northwest Territories.

The rate of hospital admissions for alcohol is 13 times that of opioids, the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 chief public health officer, Dr. Kami Kandola, told News/North.

Kandola added there have been eight opioid-related deaths recorded since 2016, five of which were that year. There was one in 2017, two in 2018, and none recorded so far this year. However, only one of these deaths was related to fentanyl.

SA国际影视传媒淎lcohol plays a larger role not just in the health-care system. (Because) thereSA国际影视传媒檚 the health-care system and the societal impact,SA国际影视传媒� Kandola said, explaining that alcohol is the countrySA国际影视传媒檚 costliest in terms of wider economic challenges to health care, lost productivity and the court system.

Alcohol represented 80 per cent of substance use hospitalizations in 2017-18. Ideally, the chief public health officer said prevention would be the best strategy to address alcohol addiction.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 something we need to address in a systematic manner,SA国际影视传媒� she said, explaining there should be a "poly-substanceSA国际影视传媒� approach including all substances, but especially alcohol.

SA国际影视传媒淲e should be consulting with Indigenous governments, NGOs, other stakeholders and say, SA国际影视传媒楬ow can we develop community alcohol management programs that are actually going to make an impact?'SA国际影视传媒�

In the NWT, 43 per cent of residents are heavy drinkers. For women, that means four or more alcoholic beverages in a sitting at least once a month, while for men, that is five or more. The national average is 19 per cent, she said.

report no fentanyl seizures

Despite its high profile in the national conversation around addiction, Northwest Territories haven't had a suspected fentanyl seizure since November 2016.

SA国际影视传媒淗owever, would like to remind people that fentanyl is a highly potent and addictive synthetic opioid pain relief medication that is estimated to be up to 100 times more potent than morphine,SA国际影视传媒� police spokesperson Julie Plourde wrote over email.

SA国际影视传媒淭he effects of fentanyl are unpredictable. Users have no idea of the level of purity or the potency of what they take. Any dosage of fentanyl is potentially lethal,SA国际影视传媒� she added.

Coroner tentatively reports decline of opioid-related deaths

Chief Coroner Cathy Menard said the NWT has witnessed opioid-related deaths. However, she notes a decrease, with a caveat: the territory's small population can mean numbers can rise and fall quickly.

In 2015 and 2016, she said opioid-related deaths numbered five for each year. In 2018, there were two.

SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 good. What is 2019 going to bring? What does 2019 look like? WeSA国际影视传媒檙e still waiting for results from a lot of our cases (this year),SA国际影视传媒� she said.

With that in mind, she credits and public awareness for the decline, and urges residents to practise caution.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 no such thing as a safe street drug,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淵ou donSA国际影视传媒檛 know how itSA国际影视传媒檚 made and you donSA国际影视传媒檛 know whatSA国际影视传媒檚 in it."

Addiction and its impact -- where alcohol plays a central part -- is a regular occurrence in her work.

SA国际影视传媒淲e find alcohol in all manners of our deaths,SA国际影视传媒� Menard said, whether it be through alcohol poisoning or the health effects of long-term use.

In the past 10 years, 67 alcohol toxicity deaths have come through her office, which Menard describes as SA国际影视传媒渁 lot.

SA国际影视传媒淎ddictions is a huge concern for the Northwest Territories," she explained. "WeSA国际影视传媒檝e seen so much of it and weSA国际影视传媒檝e seen our numbers climb over the last 10 years. It is very frightening to see.SA国际影视传媒�