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This past year, another devastating record was broken in 琉璃神社 at the hands of the unregulated and toxic drug supply in B.C.
According to the 2023 BC Coroners Service report released on Jan. 24, 101 people in 琉璃神社 died due to unregulated drugs in the last year, which is a significant increase from 84 deaths in 2022.
Across the province,as a result of unregulated drugs last year, which is a marked increase from 2022.
READ MORE: 2023 was the worst year for fatal toxic drug poisonings in B.C. history
According to the statistics in the coroners鈥� report, the drug crisis impacted people of all ages and demographics. Both women and men, from teenagers to seniors, died as a result of toxic drug poisoning in 2023.
Male drug users made up 71.5 per-cent of the total fatal overdoses in the province. Notably, approximately half of all overdose deaths in B.C. occurred in private residences, not outside or in shelters.
The report states that most commonly, the fatalities involved drugs that included an opioid known as fentanyl. Since the toxic drug crisis was first declared in 2016, the B.C. government has noted a significant increase in fentanyl-laced drugs in the province鈥檚 unregulated supply.
People in 琉璃神社 on the front lines of the crisis, from doctors to drug users, have also experienced the trend of increasingly dangerous street drugs over the past few years.
A woman who lives at 琉璃神社鈥檚 city-maintained encampment and goes by the name Mama tests many of the drugs that are bought and sold in Tent City. She said that often, the results are not what was expected. Mama said that almost every test she does exposes potentially lethal combinations, concentrations, and ingredients that were previously unknown by the user.
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Many of the people living at Tent City carry naloxone kits and almost everyone has helped in resuscitation to save a friend after an accidental overdose or drug poisoning. One of the most common unregulated drugs found in 琉璃神社 is called 鈥榙own鈥� or benzo-dope. The drug is a mix of the potent opioid fentanyl with another type of drug called benzodiazepines.
There have also been reports of fentanyl in stimulants (methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine), in 琉璃神社.
As a life-saving protocol, people at Tent City check on each other frequently throughout the day and are quick to call for help and take action to help their neighbour. Because of people鈥檚 quick action, there are relatively few overdose-related deaths at Tent City each year.
Unfortunately, most drug users use in private, making overdoses more likely to result in a fatality. According to the coroners鈥� report, 47.1 per cent of all overdoses occurred in private residences.
First responders in 琉璃神社 were called to in 2023.
When the report was released, Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe spoke out and criticized the government for lack of action in relation to the availability of treatment centres and a safe supply of drugs.
鈥淲e can take measures to save lives, or we can continue to count the dead,鈥� Lapointe said.
The chief coroner also disagreed with claims that decriminalization has contributed to the rising death numbers.
鈥淚llicit fentanyl is responsible for these deaths鈥� The goal of decriminalization didn鈥檛 mean that more drugs were available.鈥�
She explained that when the government decriminalized small amounts of drugs, there were no additional measures implemented to help drug users.
鈥淭he treatment and recovery services are not there,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are no standards for treatment and recovery.
~ With files from Lauren Collins and Wolfgang Depner
READ MORE: 琉璃神社 RCMP Strike Force seizes thousands of drugs doses, arrests 1
