Pubdate: Fri, 20 Jan 2017
Source: Oak Bay News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 Oak Bay News
Contact:  http://www.oakbaynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1346
Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

TWO OAK BAY DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO FENTANYL

Oak Bay emergency services notice a marked rise in suspected drug calls
over the past six months.

While they do have suspected overdose calls on occasion, calls have
"stepped up" since June, says Deputy Chief Kent Thom, of Oak Bay Police
Department.

"We didn't have a high volume of drug-related calls before that," Thom said.

Provincial statistics show illicit drug overdoses claimed 914 lives in
2016, with 60 in Victoria as of the end of October. Of the 139 overdose
deaths on the Island (as of Nov. 30) last year, 66 per cent tested
positive for fentanyl.

Oak Bay police have eight suspected overdoses on record over the six
months, though they can't say whether fentanyl was involved.

"We can confirm that of those eight calls we responded to, we've had three
deaths," Thom said. "In two of them, fentanyl was confirmed through
toxicology."

Every system tracks calls a little differently. Recently Oak Bay police,
called on to "assist general public," arrived to help a father deal with
his son's third overdose at the home - where they had naloxone in the
home.

From July to December 2016, Oak Bay Fire Department attended nine calls
for assistance related to overdoses/poisonings. Their crews administered
naloxone once in the six months.

Near the end of 2016, Oak Bay police acquired intranasal naloxone for use
among members exposed to opioids such as fentanyl during the course of
their work as well as among members of the public suffering an overdose.
The department does not mandate officers carry it, but recommend it for
officer safety and the public.

"We do have naloxone that our members are taking out," Thom said. "It's
not compulsory that (officers) take it out, but it is available to them
and we strongly recommend that they take it when the go out."

Not an unusual stance, Thom said. At a recent B.C. municipal Chiefs of
Police meeting a show of hands indicated one jurisdiction mandates
officers carry naloxone.

Though no officers have yet used it here, "there have been cases
province-wide where police officers in possession of fentanyl have used
it," Thom said.

"In a vast majority of cases, whenever we respond to any kind of call
that's involving drugs or an overdose, EHS (emergency health services -
ambulance) and the fire department are very close and they're equipped
with naloxone as well."

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[sidebar]

RESOURCES

* BC alcohol and drug referral service 1-800-663-1441

* BC mental health and addiction information 1-800-661-2121   (9 a.m. to 4
p.m. Monday to Friday)

* Victoria AA 24-hour support line 250-383-7744

* Victoria NA 24-hour support line 250-383-3553

* Visit www.viha.ca/mhas/resources/ for more resources.
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