BC’s top doc frustrated with increasing number drug overdoses

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – BC’s top doctor is getting really frustrated as the latest figures from the Coroner this week show the number drug overdoses in this province continues to go up.

And Dr. Perry Kendall believes education is the key to helping cut those numbers down.

Kendall says informing people about the dangers of their behaviour will eventually lead to a reduction in the stats.

Deaths between January and the end of last month are up almost 75 per cent, compared to the first six months of 2016.

“When you have more naive people — how to get the message out is something that we’re really working on at the moment. How to get more messaging out in a way that has more attraction with the folks we’re trying to talk to.”

He adds the people getting involved in drugs like fentanyl are younger, typically in their 20s or 30s.

Despite all this, there is a silver lining. “There was some indication, I think anecdotally, from a couple of regions in the province, at least in the emergency rooms, that the numbers seem to be stabilizing a little bit. But I think it’s really too soon to make any judgments about whether this is effective or not.”

Health Canada has approved the nasal spray form of naloxone, the antidote for fentanyl, to be used here but it’s only temporary because it’s still under review.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today