An increasing number of overdoses have prompted an advisory for people in Greater Victoria.
Island Health on Tuesday (Feb. 7) said people in the community using opioids or stimulants are at an increased overdose risk from injection and inhalation.
Overdose prevention services in Greater Victoria are located at the Harbour Inhalation and Injection sites (at 926 and 941 Pandora Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and at Rock Bay Landing (535 Ellice St.) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
If someone overdoses, Island Health says people should stay with them, call 911, administer naloxone and give them one breath every five seconds. For safer drug use, the health authority also recommends staggering use with a friend, starting with a small amount and going slow and using just one substance at a time as mixing substances, including alcohol and prescription drugs, increases overdose risk.
Locals can also get their drugs checked from noon to 7 p.m. at Substance (1802 Cook St.).
BC Coroners’ Service announced last week that 2022 was the second deadliest year of B.C.’s toxic drug crisis on record. Preliminary results show 2,272 people died from poisoned drugs in 2022 — 34 deaths short of 2021’s record total. Greater Victoria saw the third-highest number of toxic drug deaths of any B.C. towship last year, with 157 lives lost.
READ: Chief coroner prescribes ‘urgency’ as B.C. records 2,272 toxic drug deaths in 2022
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