The City of Prince George is on pace to match last years record numbers for overdose deaths.
New data from the BC Coroner’s Service shows four people lost their lives in the first quarter of 2016, two of them due to fentanyl.
Last year Prince George experienced 13 overdose deaths.
Dr Raina Fumerton with Northern Health says an opiate overdose usually kills by stopping breathing in the victim.
“And that can happen very quickly particularly with some of these very powerful contaminants that are out there right now.”
Provincial Health Officer Dr Perry Kendall declared a public health emergency in mid April in response to the spike in death across BC.
Fentanyl has played a factor in 98 of 256 overdose deaths that have taken place so far this year, however that number is likely much higher because the fentanyl stats are one month behind the general overdose numbers due to testing protocol.
With more than two people a day dying of drug overdose in BC, the public health emergency will aim to gather more complete data on the epidemic.
“We really need to better understand details around person place and time. So who are these people that are overdosing, where are they overdosing, what drugs were they using and were they using alone.” Fumerton said in an interview last month
Naloxone kits, a drug that can quickly reverse an opiate overdose, are being distributed through agencies across the province, including in Prince George.
The government has also moved to make it available without prescription in pharmacies, however the roll out of which is still being worked out.
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