The number of people who have died of drug overdoses in Nanaimo is the highest in a decade.
Thirty-three people have died of illicit drug overdoses in the first eight months of this year, the latest report from the B.C. Coroners Service shows.
Twenty-eight people died of drug overdoses in all of last year, which was until now, the highest number seen in statistics that go back to 2007. The report says that between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 62 people have died of drug overdose deaths in central Vancouver Island and 1,013 in B.C., with the majority, or 58 per cent, happening in private residences.
There were no deaths at supervised consumption or drug overdose prevention sites.
A Nanaimo Overdose Prevention and Management Working Group, made up of service agencies, RCMP, B.C. Coroners Service and health and educational professionals, is working to address the overdose issue locally, and meets to discuss prevention, treatment, enforcement, harm reduction and recovery supports, like housing.
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“I can’t say we’ve done as much as we’d like in some areas, but the intent of that working group is to look at the full continuum,”said Dr. Paul Hasselback, Island Health medical health officer for central Vancouver Island, in a previous interview.
He believes prevention will be an area that requires significant expansion and also anticipates that in the coming months there will be more emphasis, even on a provincial basis, on public awareness of what’s going on.
“On one end there’s frustration that this is continuing,” Hasselback said. “But I actually am very grateful because we’ve seen so many people that have stepped up, recognized the challenges that have been faced here and have shifted the emphasis of their programming, their resources and are responding to this crisis in a very constructive fashion, using the best available knowledge.”
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