BC’s overdose alert system has warned drug users of overdoses in North Vancouver.
“Overdoses reported following crack cocaine use in North Vancouver. Please don’t use alone,” read an alert by BC Harm Reduction Services.
The alert was issued on September 3.
The services also warned that Yellow crystals sold as MDMA have also tested positive in Vancouver for N-ethylpentylone, a synthetic cathinone that can cause health harms including overdose.
VCH has a RADAR alert system, which can be used to notify if someone overdoses. The information about an overdose alert can be sent in two ways:
People can fill out an anonymous form to report an overdose or Text “bad dope” to (236) 999-DOPE (3673).
Those who would like to receive drug contamination alerts, can text “alert” to (236) 999-DOPE (3673).
There are four harm reduction sites in North Vancouver, located in Central Lonsdale and Lower Lonsdale areas. The list of these sites can be found here.
At least 1,011 lives were lost to suspected illicit drug toxicity in B.C. between January and June 2021, according to data released by the BC Coroners Service.
By health authority in 2021, the highest number of illicit drug-toxicity deaths were in Fraser and Vancouver Coastal Health (342 and 283 deaths), making up 62% of all such deaths during this period.
