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Greater Victoria Sees Eight Suspected Drug Overdose Deaths In One Week

The Canadian Press, 27 Dec, 2015 03:24 PM

VICTORIA — The BC Coroners Service says drugs are likely the cause of eight deaths in Greater Victoria over the past week.

Coroner Barb McClintock says five men and three women have died of suspected overdoses in several communities, including Saanich, Langford and Sooke, between Dec. 20 and 26.

The only confirmed overdose is a man who died in a downtown Victoria parkade last Saturday, and was found to have morphine, heroine, fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The other seven deaths are suspected to be drug overdoses and McClintock says all of the dead appear to have been experienced drug users, but the Coroners Service is waiting toxicology reports.

Other agencies such as police have also reported seeing a number of overdoses where people survived.

McClintock says eight is a significant number of overdoses for Greater Victoria, and that the Coroners Service is working with police, public health and other agencies to warn drug users to be extra cautious.

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