Island Health has extended an overdose advisory from May 11 until May 26. (The Canadian Press)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

bad drugs

Overdose advisory continues for Vancouver Island as deaths continue

May 20, 2020 | 4:50 PM

NANAIMO — The tainted drug supply is taking more lives.

Island Health first issued an overdose advisory on May 11 after a week of increases in fatal overdoses. An advisory was issued again on May 19.

“We review alerts every seven days to evaluate the data and determine if the alert needs to be extended. In this case, the data indicated that there remains an elevated risk for overdoses, and that people who use drugs should remain vigilant,” a statement from the health authority read.

During the overdose advisory, illicit substance users are encouraged to visit nearby overdose prevention sites, not use alone, carry naloxone and limit the amount of drugs they take at one time.

The May 11 advisory came after two others were posted in the south Island, first in Victoria and then Cowichan.

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Overdose fatalities have skyrocketed across the province.

Data from the BC Coroners Service, updated to the end of March, there were 113 deaths in March alone.

More than 100 fatalities in one month hadn’t happened since March 2019.

It was a 61 per cent increase over the number of lives lost in February, 2020.

On Vancouver Island, losing 18 people to overdoses was an 80 per cent increase, up from nine the month before.

Nine of the fatalities in March were registered in Victoria, with another nine people passing away across the Island.

Information specific to the Nanaimo area for the month of March wasn’t provided by the Coroners Service.

Eight people in Nanaimo have fatally overdosed by the end of March.

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