It’s more a question of when rather than if.
RCMP Sgt. Kevin Shaw, head of the Sooke detachment, said a new highly toxic drug mix has been reported in the Capital Region but hasn’t yet been seen in Sooke.
Since drugs don’t respect borders, Shaw said it will only be a matter of time before it does.
“If it’s in Victoria, it’s probably on its way,” he said. “People need to be aware and take every precaution possible.”
Island Health issued a warning that overdoses in the Greater Victoria area are on the increase. Users are advised to get their drugs tested at Substance UVic, use a safe injection site, carry naloxone, and stagger their use with a friend.
“Friends, family and community members using opioids and stimulants face increased risk from injection and inhalation,” Island Health said in an Aug. 17 media release.
Turquoise Down drugs tested recently at Substance UVic revealed levels of carfentanyl, benzos, and xylazine, an animal sedative that is “usually fatal in humans.”
The alert comes on the heels of the release of preliminary statistics from the B.C. Coroners Service that put the number of people in the province who have died due to toxic drug use between January and June 2022 at 1,095, with 187 those in the Island Health region.
RELATED: B.C. sees record high 1,095 toxic drug deaths in first six months of 2022
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