P.E.I. MLA says fentanyl-related death not made public by province

PC MLA Cory Deagle says the province has not made a fentanyl-related death public.

During Tuesday's sitting of the legislature, Deagle said he was approached by a family in his riding that told him they had a family member recently die of an overdose of the narcotic.

Deagle said the family spoke to him after the public health alert was issued earlier this month, in which Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said there were three overdoses linked to fentanyl in a single day.

The MLA asked why the death was not made public during the health alert.

"[The family's] feeling was that sharing more information might help prevent a tragedy in the future. Another question to the minister of health, why would there be a reluctance from the province to acknowledge this?"

Privacy issue

Health Minister James Aylward did not confirm the death but responded saying, "It's not so much a reluctance to make such a public announcement versus a ... privacy issue around making such a statement, when there's a perceived overdose fatality." 

But Aylward assured the legislature that his department, police agencies and mental health and addictions staff were all working to prevent future overdoses.

He said it is "paramount that we do everything we can to keep these terrible drugs off our streets."

After the sitting, Deagle said he acknowledges concerns around privacy, but hopes the province makes some information public as a method of prevention.

"Perhaps this would make people think twice," Deagle said.

"It's an epidemic ... obviously it has taken more lives so far on the Island than COVID at the moment so I think it's something government needs to put resources into."

'Their hands were tied'

Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association, an independent advocacy group, told CBC privacy laws in Canada are clear.

"Any information released that could identify the cause of death of an individual is private," he said.

While announcing a death linked to fentanyl in a larger city, with many deaths daily, may not be traceable to an individual, in a small province like P.E.I. it's a different story, said Culbert.

"I think their hands were tied as far as releasing information about a death, because to do so would have revealed, would most likely have revealed, the identity of the person in question," he said.

On the province's web page regarding the prevention of opiate-related overdoses, it says death investigations can take 12-18 months to complete. The site lists two accidental fentanyl-related deaths since 2016, with no figures yet for 2020.

In an email to CBC, Health PEI said when overdoses related to fentanyl are announced, it's to protect Islanders from an imminent risk connected to consuming illicit drugs — a risk that exists whether or not the overdose results in a death.

However, it's up to the coroner to investigate deaths that are "unexpected, unnatural, or unexplained," the email said, and determine the deceased's identity, the circumstances of the death, cause of death, and the manner of death.

Confirming those details, even when fentanyl is suspected in a fatal overdose, can take 12 to 18 months.

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