VICTORIA — Premier John Horgan says more needs to be done in British Columbia to fight the ravages of illegal drug use after a report of 130 overdoses in one day last week.
The premier says he's thankful there were no deaths from any of the overdoses reported last Friday, but the staggering number reveals the amount of work ahead to battle the crisis.
BC Emergency Health Services says paramedics responded to 130 suspected overdose calls on July 27, a statistic only seen once before in April of last year.
Yesterday, July 27, 2018 BCEHS paramedics responded to 130 suspected overdose calls – the highest in 1 day, a number seen only once before in BC in April 2017. Thankfully all lives saved. Tell your families, tell your friends: Don’t Use Alone, and Call 911 if you suspect an OD.
— Emerg Health Services (@BC_EHS) July 28, 2018
The service says news about the high number of overdoses should be made widely known and it urged drug users not to use substances alone.
Horgan says the drug overdose crisis is a scourge on the province, which will require more effort to control.
He says the province is working to ensure paramedics have the tools to help people who overdose and addicts are able to receive the care they need quickly.
