If the number of Powell River overdoses continues to accelerate, 2016 could see as many drug-related deaths as the past nine years combined, according to a recent report from the BC Coroners Service.
In the first five months of 2016, there have been five drug overdose deaths in Powell River. Between 2007 and 2015 there were a combined total of 13 deaths, an average of less than one and a half per year.
The potent painkiller fentanyl, which is becoming increasingly common, plays a significant role in the statistics.
“It’s really a serious drug and people are looking for it, so that’s scary,” said City of Powell River councillor Maggie Hathaway. “We need to get the message out there.”
According to the report, fentanyl has been detected in more than half of the deaths that occurred this year. In 2012, fentanyl was only detected in about five per cent of overdoses. It is common for overdose deaths to occur through the mixing of different drugs and alcohol.
Powell River BC Ambulance chief Rob Southcott said that while his station does not keep statistics on treating overdoses, he thinks his paramedics have been attending more drug-related calls.
“What we have noticed is a greater number of instances where we’re attending and people have been in cardiac arrest too long to resuscitate,” said Southcott.
Southcott said his previous work as a paramedic on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside allowed him to track how batches of heroin that were more potent than others would result in an increase of
overdoses and deaths.
He said it was usually infrequent users who would be the ones who overdosed, something he thinks may be the case in the current fentanyl crisis.
“It’s infrequent users who are not cognizant of how strong the stuff is before they lapse into unconsciousness,” said Southcott. “The collapse is so quick that they can’t slow it down or call for help. It’s so fast they don’t know what hit them.”
Hathaway said that she thinks it is time for the city to start an education campaign around the dangers of fentanyl.
She said the city has previously done this when crystal meth was becoming more widespread in the 1990s.
The previous campaign focused on providing education for parents because they did not know what it was, what it looked like or how it was being consumed, said Hathaway.
“If we can just get the word out that it is in town, and educate the kids that even a tiny bit can be deadly,” she said. “If you don’t know what something is, don’t take it. You could die.”
Southcott said that is why regular users do not inject quickly or use alone. He added the most important factor to keeping someone who is overdosing alive is to make sure that they are getting oxygen to the brain, something a widely available overdose drug called naloxone can help with.
“What’s phenomenally more important though is education,” said Southcott. “Our society is a magic pill society. [naloxone] is the latest magic pill.”
Without certainty of how much fentanyl the person took it is possible that the anti-overdose drug could wear off and let the user slip back into overdose and die, he said.
However, increased awareness of risk is only one avenue to stem the number of deaths.
Powell River RCMP have also seen an increase in the amount of resources being allocated towards major drug crime investigations.
According to Powell River RCMP staff sergeant Rod Wiebe, the detachment has a three-person General Investigation Section responsible for investigating the majority of drug crimes. He estimates that 80 per cent of their caseload is related to drugs.
“Of that 80 per cent, almost all is dedicated to targeting drug traffickers who are dealing in hard drugs: cocaine, heroin, meth and fentanyl,” said Wiebe. “These investigations are resource intensive, which can be a challenge when we are resource finite.”
According to Wiebe, so far this year police have seized cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, oxycodone, fentanyl and steroids. Numerous individuals have been charged and the matters are before the courts, said Wiebe.
“While I can’t comment on ongoing investigations, I can say that recent projects we have conducted included obtaining undercover officers and outside resources,” he said. “The resulting seizure included crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin.”
One of the major drug supplies to Powell River comes from the Lower Mainland, according to Wiebe.
“Whatever trend is seen down there will eventually make its way here,” said Wiebe. “For that reason, I would caution all drug users, both addicts and occasional users, to be very careful with whatever their drug of choice is.”
