By Spencer Sterritt

Decreasing overdose deaths in Nanaimo not a sign crisis is over: Island Health

Feb 7, 2019 | 4:19 PM

NANAIMO — A significant decrease in the number of fatal overdoses in Nanaimo is leading to new concerns among health professionals.

“The challenge now is going to be keeping the focus and attention on this,” medical health officer Dr. Shannon Waters told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Thirty-four people fatally overdosed around Nanaimo in 2018. That’s down dramatically from 2017, when 55 people passed away. The decrease is one of the largest in the province, though the overall number of fatal overdoses across B.C. was steady at roughly 1,500.

“Even though the trajectory isn’t going up, this is still a very high number of deaths,” Waters said. “We need to remind people this can happen to anyone. None of us are immune to circumstances coming up, trauma between one day and next which could jeopardize our mental health.”

Waters said Island Health’s efforts to make naloxone widely available and provide supervision at the overdose prevention site on Wesley St. can likely be attributed to the decreasing number.

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Statistics show Nanaimo is also a leading community for those seeking treatment for opioid addiction.

Mental health and addictions ministy Judy Darcy estimated 4,700 deaths were prevented through overdose prevention sites and naloxone throughout B.C. in 2018.

Island Health data showed 66 overdoses were reversed at Nanaimo’s prevention site over more than 18,000 visits.

There have been zero deaths at the site.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit