Drug Overdose Deaths Climbing
Prince George, BC.- The BC Coroners Service has released details on the number of overdose deaths in this Province this year, and the number is alarming.Between January 1st of this year, and April 30th, there have been 256 deaths from illicit drug overdoses. That’s an increase of 82% from the 136 deaths which occurred in the same period last year.
Four of those deaths from illicit drug overdose occurred in Prince George.
Fentanyl is a key factor, as it was detected in 49% of the deaths that occurred from January to the end of March up from 32% detected in such deaths in all of 2015. The role of fentanyl in the deaths which occurred in April is not yet known as there is a one month lag in getting those test results.
Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe stresses the critical importance of illicit drug users having medical assistance or a support person nearby in the event of overdose. “Naloxone is now widely available in the province, including in some
pharmacies without a prescription, and can be administered by anyone trained to use it,” Lapointe said. “This administration is often extremely successful in preventing what would otherwise be a tragic opiate drug overdose death.”
Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more toxic than other opioids. The dose must be carefully monitored to avoid accidental overdose. This makes it particularly high risk for people who have never used opioids or for people who may mistakenly use fentanyl thinking it is something else.
Early Signs of Overdose:
- Severe sleepiness
- Slow heartbeat
- Trouble breathing
- Slow, shallow breathing or snoring
- Cold, clammy skin
- Trouble walking or talking
If these symptoms are present, call 9-1-1.
Comments
You’re not very smart!
The reality is many of the 256 deaths from illicit drug overdoses due to Fentanyl are high school kids and young people partying and being first time users on a dare, or injesting the drug because of peer pressure and wanting to fit in with their crowd.
Many of these kids (which could be any of ours) need to have a drug / Fentenyl awareness campaign targeted at them through our high schools. Perhaps even have free drug testing at raves and outdoor concerts so potential users know what they are going to ingest or shoot. Whether anyone cares to admit it or not, these measures would save lives, IMO.
“A friend of the 17-year-old Vancouver boy who died from a suspected fentanyl overdose over the weekend says the young man was an athletic teenager and full of life.” Take a good long look at this promising young man, because there are many more young women and men like him who are ending up in the morgue because Fentanyl is finding its way into “recreational” drugs.
www .cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/jack-bodie-teen-who-died-from-suspected-fentanyl-overdose-had-a-bright-future-1.3178556
If I was a drug dealer I wouldn’t want my customers dying from the product I supplied. Why are you morons selling this stuff to your customers?
I think the “morons” don’t even know they are supplying it to their customers. Fentanyl is quite often disguised as Oxycontin.
Somebody knows.
And your point is what exactly? It’s only been in the news for years.
“Earlier this week, St. Albert RCMP put out a public warning about small, round, blue-green pills being sold as OxyContin. But the pills, which were seized earlier this year, were found to be Fentanyl, after analysis by Health Canada.” – Sept 26 ,2014
Perhaps you need to try to keep up with current events instead of keeping up with the Kardashians. You’ll be better for it.
My point exactly is that someone knows there is fentanyl in the drugs that are being sold on our streets. That someone is the goof that’s producing it. Is that hard for your pea brain to understand? It’s been in the news for years you say? Really? WOW! you’re full of information aren’t you.
Perhaps you are one selling it or need to quit using it. :-)
Somebody knows? Sure, ask the Chinese because it’s their manufacturing plants where this crap is coming from.
At least you got the first four letters of your online name accurate. Perhaps you need to lay off the W18.
You’re a troll right?
What happened to the days of just shot gunning a few beers, smokin a spliff and going to get a good sleep?
What happened ? Big pharma realized that they could make billions peddling synthetic heroin . All the big pharma synthetic opioids are heroin . In the states they wanted to limit them to seven days use only and big pharma went nuts . That ended that law . It’s an epidemic caused by greed , pure and simple . Beers and weed don’t kill emotional pain . Opioids do . That’s the trap .
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