Fentanyl’s toll could become worse: coroner
The Yukon’s top coroner is warning residents that the number of fentanyl-related deaths in the territory could rise.
The Yukon’s top coroner is warning residents that the number of fentanyl-related deaths in the territory could rise.
According to acting chief coroner Heather Jones, nearly five per cent of the caseload of the Yukon Coroner’s Office has been fentanyl-associated cases – and this number may grow.
The coroner’s office anticipates that the number of deaths may rise when more laboratory results come out, as there is a four- to six-month wait for toxicology results.
There have been a total of five fentanyl-related deaths in the Yukon since the first death officially linked to the drug was reported in April 2016.
“This is still a concern,” Jones said today.
“The unfortunate part is its taking us time to get all the facts,” she told the Star.
She noted that the coroner’s office won’t speculate on the number of cases awaiting toxicology results that could be linked to fentanyl, but that they will keep the public informed as they learn more.
Names, genders and home communities of overdose victims aren’t being publicly released.
In British Columbia, the epicentre of Canada’s fentanyl crisis, the drug was detected in 139 overdoes deaths in January and February 2017 alone – a 90 per cent increase over the same period in 2016.
Yukon officials point out that British Columbia’s statistics should continue to act as a warning for Yukoners.
“Fentanyl is not a B.C.-only problem. It is a problem everywhere. It is in Yukon now and it is killing Yukoners,” said Jones.
Yukon officials are also advising people to take precautions, as fentanyl has made its way into many street drugs and is extremely toxic.
“Fentanyl is lethal and unpredictable. If you are going to use drugs, please play it safe,” Dr. Brendan Hanley, the Yukon’s chief medical officer of health, said in a statement.
These precautions include seeking treatment and safer alternatives.
People can also get free take-home naloxone kits at health centres across the territory, which can be used in cases of opioid overdose.
Other efforts that have been taken to address the opioid crisis in the territory include the “Fentanyl can be deadly campaign” and a fentanyl working group.
There is also a range of services for people struggling with addiction in the Yukon, from prevention and harm reduction to after care.
These include the Yukon HealthLine, Alcohol and Drug Services, the Blood Ties Four Directions Centre, Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services, and services from the Kwanlin Dün First Nation.
And the Yukon, B.C. and Manitoba have teamed up to provide information about fentanyl on the knowyoursource.ca website.
Fentanyl is a highly potent opiate estimated to be 100 times more toxic than morphine and 40 times more toxic than heroin.
Comments (14)
Up 0 Down 0
drug's r drug's on May 14, 2017 at 9:29 pm
It's the users fault for doing it, not the dealers who sell it. Pathetic way to point blame! Don't do drugs u won't be at risk of death!!!! duh!
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soph on May 14, 2017 at 9:23 pm
The drug is clearly being used because its a synthetic drugs that is exactly like heroine, so why doesn't the pharmaceutical companies stop making drugs that are so addicting and making them so accessible... mind u people who are addicts to heroin aren't going to stop when they come out with a stronger versions of it (fentanyl) and let it become accessible to drug cartels globally!
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Lost in the Yukon on May 9, 2017 at 7:47 pm
Meanwhile Health and Social Services continues to pour millions upon millions of dollars into Alcohol and Drug Services year after. Not counting what their fancy new building has cost taxpayers ... and ADS has not done one thing to reduce addiction and its impact on the Yukon. They don't keep meaningful stats, they have no outcomes they are accountable for ... a colossal waste of taxpayers money. The Director of Social Services and the Manager of ADS still collect their $100,000+ salaries and no one is accountable.
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Jasper on May 8, 2017 at 5:34 pm
I do not know, what Fentanyl is supposed to do other then to put you to sleep. It is for sure not a stimulant nor is it like you want to relax a little bit and smoke a Joint.So why do it? Why is it that only young people do it?
There is a high rate of teenagers in Canada that commit suicide.
Social Media has probably something to do with it.
I know this is a hard question but I have to ask this.
Has it ever occurred to anybody that maybe these kids just want a pleasant way to get out of this world?
Up 48 Down 9
north_of_60 on May 6, 2017 at 5:44 pm
If people want to willingly engage in potentially lethal risky behavior, that's fine by me. Hopefully they remove themselves from the gene pool before they reproduce and pass on their stupidity-gene.
More importantly, this is wasting resources on foolish people willingly killing themselves, and it takes our limited medical resources away from people who have non-voluntary afflictions that can be healed.
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Reality Check on May 6, 2017 at 9:09 am
I sincerely hope that resources are not diverted from medical necessities for people who need medical treatment concerning a legitimate health issue over which they have no choice. For example an ambulance responding to someone experiencing a cardiac arrest versus responding to someone who knowingly took illegal drugs purchased off the street.
In the lower mainland now the tweakers are taking up so much of the available emergency medical resources that people requiring legitimate emergence medical care can experienc lengthy waits for help to arrive.
Up 78 Down 5
Guncache on May 6, 2017 at 9:01 am
People who want to risk their lives with illegal drugs get free naloxone kits, but if the responsible citizen needs an epi-pen they have to buy it. Makes no sense. Come on YG, make epi-pens available for responsible citizens.
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Wow... on May 6, 2017 at 7:45 am
@ PSG, I can't believe your post got thumbs down. Ridiculous.
I personally know of 2 people (1 university student and 1 graphic designer) who overdosed on this s**t in BC.
The reason being it was cut into the cocaine they consumed. Now of course doing drugs is dumb, and you can say it is their own fault, however they died because of some idiot who decided to cut their product to boost profit. So yes I totally agree with your statement, if you know anyone dealing this s**t, alerting the police to it may just save some lives.
Oh, and the only reason I said what my friends did in their life, is to make sure people know that it is not just junkies or street people who overdose on this poison. Fentanyl and Crystal Meth dealers should disappear, the Yukon has plenty of nice wilderness places they can disappear to.
Up 57 Down 3
Mikey on May 6, 2017 at 4:35 am
I can't decide if it's funny or sad that so many people are against prosciences comment about reporting drug dealers that are killing people. What is the down side? I'm sorry...are you friends with drug dealers? Well then that is your first problem...
Everyone seems angry when someone dies. They all want the cops to do something but news for you...police don't work off telepathy nor does it count as evidence in court.
Up 47 Down 12
yukon56 on May 5, 2017 at 9:33 pm
Do drugs, take your chances, have no sympathy
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jc on May 5, 2017 at 9:28 pm
Fentanyl is just a small part of the drug problem in Yukon. It will never be irradicated because lord Human Rights won't allow it. It and the judges and lawyers are the major problems. They let the police work on cases for years and then throw them out or give light sentences. We just have to live with the results. And as long as people enjoy the game of Russian Roulette with drugs, they have to suffer the consequences. As for me, well, I'm sorry, but my empathy just can't kick in when certain people enjoy putting dangerous and deadly things into their mouths and bodies. When they stop, the drug problem will stop. They have to take the first step.
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Roger on May 5, 2017 at 5:28 pm
It always puzzles me that it takes 4-6 months to find out the toxicology results. I understand that it's been a terrible year for deaths however when I read about persons in the USA dying they often know the results that week or a few days later. So that tells me that the science exists, it's whether or not we want to pay for a private lab to analyze the results. To me it makes sense to get the results as soon as possible and not be content with the long wait because it seems every other day people are dying and we are not sure until many months later why.
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Mike D on May 5, 2017 at 4:52 pm
There's no news here!! Its just a rerun of bureaucrats getting the media's spotlight to look like their doing something new. Sorry but the problem is well entrenched in the Yukon and it will take a whole different and new strategy to combat this drug. It won't be easy and wasting our tax dollars on speaking useless word isn't helping anyone
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ProScience Greenie on May 5, 2017 at 4:36 pm
If anybody knows anybody that is dealing fentanyl substances shun them or even better turn them into the cops. If you don't and people die from it then you're guilty by association. Not good.