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British Columbia - City of Vancouver says overdose numbers in March likely to surpass February totals

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  • British Columbia - City of Vancouver says overdose numbers in March likely to surpass February totals

    City of Vancouver says overdose numbers in March likely to surpass February totals
    ...

    By Justin McElroy, CBC Posted: Mar 21, 2017 7:57 PM PT Last Updated: Mar 21, 2017 8:54 PM PT
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    The city said Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services responded to 104 overdose calls during the week of March 13, and police reported 21 suspected fatal overdoses by March 20, compared with 25 in all of February.

    The B.C. Coroners Service reported last week that 102 people across the province died of illicit drug overdoses last month, up 72.9 per cent from February 2016.

    "The trend and toll that it's taken is heartbreaking, but unfortunately it's not surprising," said Mary Clare Zak, the city's managing director for social policy.

    Mayor Gregor Robertson said in a statement that the city's first-responders and front-line workers are at a breaking point and other levels of government need to help.

    "Vancouver Coastal Health's Mobile Medical Unit at 58 Hastings has saved hundreds of lives with invaluable emergency care and treatment-on-demand over the last several months, but will soon be shutting its doors," he wrote.
    ...

    Vancouver officials are again raising concerns about the opioid overdose crisis, saying the March overdose toll will likely be worse than last month.
    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela
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