Pubdate: Fri, 29 Jan 2016
Source: Peace Arch News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Peace Arch News
Contact:  http://www.peacearchnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1333
Author: Jeff Nagel
Referenced: http://mapinc.org/url/OVXxjPrW

REGION'S DRUG DEATHS SOAR

Illicit drug overdose deaths in B.C. jumped 27 per cent in 2015 and
that grim statistic was even worse in the Fraser region, where deadly
overdoses soared nearly 50 per cent.

A total of 465 B.C. residents died from illicit drugs last year,
almost 100 more than in 2014, according to new statistics from the
B.C. Coroners Service.

Fraser recorded the largest number of drug deaths of any B.C. region
in 2015 - a total of 166, up from 111 in 2014.

"It's been particularly severe in the Fraser region," said coroner
service spokesperson Barb McLintock. "That's really, really large even
when you factor in things like increasing population."

Broken down by municipality, Vancouver still had the most overdose
deaths at 118.

But Surrey had 67 drug deaths last year, a jump from 42 in 2014.
Abbotsford had 24 (up from seven) and Maple Ridge had 23 (up from 14.)
Other cities with 10 or more drug deaths were Nanaimo, VIctoria,
Kelowna, Burnaby, Prince George, Langley, Coquitlam and New
Westminster.

December was particularly bad, with 62 deaths recorded province-wide,
the largest number in any single month over the past 10 years.

An estimated 30 per cent of overdose deaths involved fentanyl - either
the dangerously potent synthetic opiate by itself or mixed with other
drugs - and that proportion has steadily climbed over the past three
years.

Because powdered fentanyl is often added to other street drugs and
unknowingly ingested, public health officials say it's been
responsible for an unusual number of overdoses in recreational or
occasional drug users, rather than long-term injection drug users.

But McLintock said other drugs including heroin, cocaine and
methamphetamine continue to account for more deaths overall.

"Fentanyl is part of the problem, but it's far, far, far from being
the whole problem."

McLintock noted there are efforts underway to increase access to
life-saving naloxone or Narcan, which can quickly stop an overdose in
progress, by having firefighters carry the drug or by offering it
over-the-counter without prescription at pharmacies.

"Certainly that form of harm reduction will help but it's still only
good for the opiates," she cautioned. "It's not going to help your
crystal meth and your cocaine users because it often doesn't work on
those."

The provincial overdose death rate is now at its highest level since
1998.

McLintock said the death statistics are just the tip of the iceberg
because many more overdoses happen that don't lead to fatalities, but
signal a significant population taking serious risks with their health.