Pubdate: Fri, 20 May 2016 Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Page: S2 Copyright: 2016 The Globe and Mail Company Contact: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168 Author: Geordon Omand Cited: B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS: http://www.cfenet.ubc.ca/ OVERDOSE SURVIVORS AT HIGHER RISK OF DRUG DEATH, STUDY FINDS British Columbia researchers have determined a straightforward method for health-care professionals to effectively identify people at a heightened risk of dying from a future drug overdose. Scientists at the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV-AIDS revealed those who have recently survived a non-fatal overdose are more likely to die from a subsequent overdose. The study's senior author, Kanna Hayashi, described the research as the first of its kind because it found the risk of death from an overdose increases significantly with each non-fatal overdose experienced. "[This] shows that there are some people who could be in a unique position to easily identify people who are most at risk of fatal overdose," Dr. Hayashi said. The study was released five weeks after British Columbia declared a state of emergency in response to a surge in drug-related overdose deaths across the province. There have been more than 250 overdose deaths across the province in 2016. Seonaid Nolan is an addictions specialist with the research centre and she described the study as especially timely given the government's emergency measures. "The primary, take-home message from the study itself is that we now know that the simple screening of patients can really lead to the identification of people who are at really high risk for dying from a potential drug overdose," Dr. Nolan said. This research will also likely help inform Canada's pending overdose prevention strategy, she added. While the study's conclusion may appear intuitive, having clear and quantitative data allows doctors to communicate with their patients about the risk of continued drug use. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom