19 Jan Overdose Deaths in Vancouver at a Historical High for 2017
Deaths related to overdoses hit a historical high in Vancouver, BC last year.
The city reported that there were an estimated 335 deaths related to illicit drug overdoses in 2017. That’s almost one casualty due to overdoses a day. These numbers are up 42% from last year, when there were 234 deaths.
According to Vancourier, Mary Clare Zak, the city’s social policy director told city council, “It’s an absolute historical high, we’ve never experienced this.” She also noted that the year-end data from the Vancouver Police Department has yet to be confirmed by the BC Coroners Service, which they should be receiving shortly.
The City also said the upside to this data is that the number of deaths per month are on a decline, with November and December being the lowest in 2017.
This could mean better news for 2018, however, the death count is still unfortunately high.
Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of unnatural deaths in BC, surpassing motor vehicle incidents and suicide.
It’s clear that many BC residents are in need of an intervention.
Unfortunately, more than 250 of the deaths from 2017 are connected to the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Many dealers are using fentanyl to boost their profits as is it a less expensive synthetic opioid, and is a cheaper option than heroin. Fentanyl has now been detected in all illicit drugs, with the exception of marijuana.
Fentanyl is 100x more toxic than morphine, and 50x more toxic than heroin. Just 2 mg of powdered fentanyl can cause death, which is equal to the same amount as two grains of salt.
Many users may know the drugs they are purchasing could be laced with fentanyl, but may not feel like they have a choice.
Fentanyl can stay in a users system for up to two weeks, unlike heroin which shows up no longer than a week. Because of this, quitting fentanyl can be a difficult process. The long shelf life of fentanyl also makes withdrawals extremely painful.
Although the City of Vancouver is making great progress on reducing the amount of deaths due to overdoses, Andy Bhatti knows that interventions are the real solution.
Deaths related to drug overdoses are preventable.
Substance abuse treatment services are available for individuals struggling with addictions. There are many treatment centers in Vancouver, and professional drug and alcohol interventionist Andy Bhatti can help you or a loved one begin the road to recovery.
Andy struggled with addictions himself and understands the process many addicts go through to start living a clean life. It’s not an easy journey, but if Andy and the hundreds of people who have been helped by Andy Bhatti and professional drug and alcohol counsellors can do it, anyone can.
The programs at Andy Bhatti intervention and Addiction Services allow clients to complete written exercises daily that encourage them to make the necessary changes in their lives to lead a clean and sober life.
Addictions are rarely felt by only one person, and Andy helps those in need of his services to repair their family lives as well as other relationships. He also assists in assessing financial damages, psychological issues, coping habits and breaking deeply ingrained habits.
Andy now offers personalized addiction services to help those who can’t do residential treatment due to their work or family life. He can also provide a professional Doctor’s note for individuals to provide their work, so they can discreetly deal with their addictions while they take time off.
If you, or a loved one is struggling with addictions, please contact us today. An intervention could save your loved one’s life.