The city saw 12 toxic drug deaths in January, according to the B.C. Coroners Service, surpassing Greater Victoria, which recorded 11 deaths. Only Vancouver and Surrey had more illicit drug deaths.
Tanya Hiltz’s voice breaks a little when she talks about people who have died from drug overdoses in Nanaimo.
Many — but not all — of those living on the streets of Nanaimo are addicted to drugs such as fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. A key problem is lack of information about what’s in the drugs people are taking, said Hiltz, who urges everyone who uses drugs to get them tested first. “Otherwise you have no idea what’s inside them.”
“We still have incredibly high concentrations of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and novel benzodiazepine drugs that are really making it a very dangerous landscape for people who use drugs,” Allison said, pointing to data from the coroners service. Initiatives announced in the province’s recent budget include $586 million to expand mental health and addiction treatment and recovery services.
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