An increase in drug overdoses – including four deaths – in the Nanaimo area in since December has prompted a public forum on high-risk drug use.
Representatives from Island Health, RCMP’s community program and Vancouver Island University will provide information on illicit drugs in Nanaimo at the public event set for Thursday (Jan. 28), 7 p.m., in building 355, room 203.
Among the presenters will be Griffin Russell, coordinator for Island Health’s harm reduction unit, who will be discussing distribution of take-home Naloxone overdose kits, now available at VIU’s medical clinic.
“Drug overdoses in Nanaimo are a community problem and that’s why VIU, Island Health, the RCMP and other partners are working together on this important public awareness initiative,” Russell said, in a press release.
Since the beginning of December, Nanaimo has recorded 14 overdoses, plus four deaths, according to Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, noting that not all overdoses are reported. He said the Naloxone kits are saving lives but those overdoses might not be reported to police.
O’Brien said most of the drug activity is among actively entrenched drug users in the city, but heroin laced with fentanyl and other drug cocktails are crossing lines, pointing to the overdose of a young, adult male who had recently started experimenting with drugs.
VIU said it is being proactive by hosting the event, noting that high-risk drug use affects a small percentage of its students.
O’Brien said the education component is being left to Island Health while the RCMP focuses on enforcement, developing intelligence to target the drug trade in Nanaimo.
For more information, please visit https://healthycampuses.ca/project/changing-the-culture-of-substance-use-project/.