Friday, May 12, 2017

168 Overdoses to start May in Vancouver

The City of Vancouver says there have been seven suspected overdose deaths during the first week of May as British Columbia’s fentanyl-fueled overdose crisis continues without an end in sight. In addition to the seven suspected overdose deaths reported by police, the city says Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services were called out to 168 overdose incidents to start the month.
As of March 31, 347 people had died of overdoses in British Columbia this year. The 120 suspected overdose deaths in March marks a 51 per cent increase over the same month last year. "Vancouver remains at the epicenter of a public health emergency from drug overdose deaths in the fentanyl crisis,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson.
Many are wondering about the federal government. After a massive PR exercise in January, basically nothing has been done. There is still no uniform reporting across the country and even testing is still piecemeal. Meanwhile fentanyl continues to leave corpses from the Yukon to Newfoundland in frightening numbers.