Although there is no official word from Yukon coroner Heather Jones as yet, two more drug overdose deaths are said to have occurred overnight in Whitehorse.

Jennifer Mitchell told the Star late this morning that someone familiar with the situation told her two young women died overnight at the shelter for the homeless on Alexander Street at Fourth Avenue.

Mitchell said one of the women was from Old Crow.

She also said her nephew was one of the Carcross residents who died from an overdose last week.

His was one of three deaths of Carcross residents that prompted the Carcross-Tagish First Nation government to declare a state of emergency.

Mitchell has an unfortunate history with drug-associated problems, as her 17-year-old daughter passed away from an overdose three years ago.

The shelter referred the Star to the Yukon government for further information, but no one was available to provide it.

Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee told CBC Yukon earlier this week the government plans to declare a substance-abuse state of emergency in the coming days to free up more resources to deal with what’s been called the opioid crisis.

Just last week, McPhee and the acting chief medical officer of health, Dr. Catherine Elliott, warned there are toxic street drugs circulating through the Yukon.

One of the primary contributing components in the toxic drugs is benzodiazepine, they said.

The Star has attempted to contact Jones this month as stories of overdoses have circulated, but she has not returned calls nor emails.

She has reported there were 21 deaths attributed to drug overdoses from Jan. 1 through Nov. 26, 2021 in the Yukon.