VICTORIA — A review by a British Columbia's coroners' panel says two issues stand in the way of stopping more young people from dying of overdoses.
A report issued Wednesday says 182 youths or young adults have died over a five year period, primarily because of a delay in getting immediate medical help and a lack of education in recognizing the signs of overdose.
A child death review panel found that 26 youth and 156 young adults died of overdoses, either accidentally, by suicide or undetermined, between 2009 and 2013.
The review found that many of those aged between 13 and 18 who died were with someone at the time they overdosed, while young adults, between 19 and 23, were alone.
The deaths were mainly caused by a combination of alcohol and drugs and overall, opioids, stimulants and alcohol were the most widely detected substances during autopsies.
Three main recommendations were made in the report, including reducing barriers to getting immediate medical help, raising awareness of the importance of getting medical help, and supporting learning around overdose deaths.
