It’s too soon to say if a fatal overdose on Monday night is connected to the recent spike in overdoses related to fentanyl-laced drugs, Burnaby RCMP say.
A 26-year-old Burnaby woman was found dead around 6:25 p.m. on Aug. 10. An initial examination by the coroner suggests the woman died of a drug overdose, and Burnaby RCMP confirmed the woman was a drug user. Investigators are now waiting for the coroner’s report.
“The death was not considered suspicious,” said Cpl. Daniela Panesar, spokesperson for the Burnaby RCMP.
But whether the overdose was caused by a substance containing fentanyl, that still needs to be determined, Panesar added.
In order to conclusively prove the cause of death was connected to fentanyl, a sample must be submitted to a Health Canada drug analysis service lab, Panesar said.
The RCMP are also investigating the sudden death of a 45-year-old Burnaby man to see if it’s drug related.
The man was found dead around 10:20 a.m., also on Monday, but the cause of death is not obvious, Panesar told the NOW.
“Until a coroner’s report, we can’t really say what the cause of death is,” she said. “Unless there’s something really obvious about it, we can’t really say.”
On Tuesday, B.C.’s chief coroner, Lisa Lapointe issued a statement regarding the recent spike in fentanyl-related fatalities. Her statement follows on the heels of a report by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, which indicates a noticeable increase in fentanyl-related deaths across Canada over the past four years – a pattern the B.C. Coroners Service confirmed across British Columbia as well.
Between Jan. 1 and May 31, there have been 54 fatal overdoses in which fentanyl was detected, and over the last month, July 7 to Aug. 7, there have been 12 deaths due to fentanyl, almost all were in the Lower Mainland, according to the B.C. Coroners Service.
In the majority of these deaths, however, fentanyl was one of several drugs noted in the post mortem toxicology reports, including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines, as well as alcohol and/or prescription pills, according to the coroners service.
“The recent publicity surrounding drug overdose deaths in which fentanyl has been detected in post-mortem analyses gives the B.C. Coroners Service the opportunity to again remind users that it is not possible to be sure of the contents of any illicit drugs,” Lapointe said in the statement. “It is essential that those who use these drugs take all possible steps to minimize their risk.
“While fentanyl is currently attracting attention as a newer drug of abuse, it's important to remember that any substance bought from an illicit source poses significant risks for users.”
