ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) – Police in the Fraser Valley are sounding the alarm this weekend after they say five people died in Abbotsford between 10:15 am and 7:20 pm yesterday.
Over the last 24 hours we have seen a spike in ODs in #Abbotsford. Don’t use alone, carry #Naloxone & please consider treatment options. pic.twitter.com/xXhqP1qx3j
— Deputy Mike Serr (@DeputySerrAPD) October 28, 2017
He adds of those who died three were men and two were women. Four of the five died indoors and all of them died alone. “There’s no way to eliminate the dangers entirely, unless you don’t use. But if you’re going to use then certainly having someone there who can phone 911 and maybe taking less than your full dose would be things that could mitigate [it] somewhat.”
MacDonald adds the fact the majority of the deaths were indoors shows the drug crisis is hitting more than just those living on the streets. “Today, we are amplifying that warning and suggesting that the drugs currently on our streets are even more deadly than usual. In addition, a person’s risk is exacerbated by using full doses of the unknown drugs and using alone.”
He says it may take some time for toxicology tests to determine that the causes of death were linked to either fentanyl or carfentanil.
There were five deadly ODs in Abbotsford yest’ between 10:15a and 7:20p. Three men/two women. 4/5 died indoors and they all died alone.
— Sonia Aslam (@SoniaSAslam) October 28, 2017
Related Articles
BC illicit drug deaths in 2017 surpass last year’s total
National opioid overdose numbers show crisis is hitting the West hardest
These are the provinces where the opioid crisis is growing the fastest
BC sets new record for illicit drug deaths
MacDonald says the number of overdose call first responders are dealing with is nothing short of taxing. “People need to remember that each of those tragedies represents a hole in a family, a loss of life and a devastating impact on communities and first responders.”
BC is on track to setting a record for the number of deadly overdoses in this province. BC declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in April of 2016.
