Island Health warns of spikes in overdoses

Island Health has issued a drug-overdose warning for all of Vancouver Island following a spike in deaths linked to the use of opioids and stimulants.

Dr. Paul Hasselback, medical health officer for the central Island, said the advisory follows earlier alerts for Victoria on May 4 and Cowichan on May 5.

The health authority says there is an increased risk associated with smoking drugs and warns people not to use alone.

Hasselback said it’s unclear what’s causing the increase, although it could be linked to the COVID19 outbreak, which has tightened borders and led to inconsistencies in the drug supply on the streets.

As well, more people may be practising physical distancing to avoid contracting the virus and consequently putting themselves at risk by using drugs alone.

“There’s lots that we don’t know about what’s happening right now, and it will take some time before the full toxicology assessments are undertaken,” he said. “It may have to do with the mixing of the products that are available for distribution.”

It could also have to do with people not using for a while and then taking their previous dose without realizing that their tolerance levels have decreased.

The B.C. Coroners Service reported last week that there were 113 drug-overdose deaths in B.C. in March, a 61 per cent increase from the previous month, as the COVID-19 epidemic hit the province.

Island Health advises people who use drugs to have their drugs checked at a local overdose-prevention or supervised-consumption site; try a little bit of the substance before their regular hit; use with a friend and stagger use so one person can call for help; carry overdose-reversing naloxone and call 911 immediately in the event of an overdose.