A coroner's jury in British Columbia has recommended high schools provide resuscitation training and demonstrations of how to use naloxone after ruling that the overdose death of a University of Victoria student last year was accidental.
The inquest found 18-year-old Sidney McIntyre-Starko died of brain injuries caused by a lack of oxygen after fentanyl use.
The jury made 10 recommendations in its findings Thursday, including the training of high school students and that the University of Victoria create mandatory orientation for first-year students on how to obtain and administer naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose.
The jury said the orientation should also give students information on safe drug testing locations, as well as the fact that "there will be no repercussions for requesting testing."
Other recommendations to provincial ministries include that campus security at all post-secondary institutions be provided with naloxone, supplementary oxygen and an automated external defibrillator.
McIntyre-Starko used street drugs laced with fentanyl with two other students in a university residence in January 2024, and a report last month found she could have been saved had she received naloxone or respiratory support.
University of Victoria president Kevin Hall said in a statement Thursday that the school "will take time to consider the findings of the inquest" for how it will inform its approach to overdose prevention and harm reduction.
"Universities and colleges across British Columbia have work to do, collectively, to help safeguard their communities against toxic drugs," Hall said.
"The University of Victoria takes its role in this seriously. We remain committed to learning from this tragedy and taking the steps necessary to foster a safe and supportive environment for everyone at UVic."
Hall also urged students, staff and faculty to review the university's existing resources aimed at harm reduction and the toxic drug crisis.
The report looking into McIntyre-Starko's death released in April by former Abbotsford, B.C., police chief Bob Rich found that the teen had collapsed and suffered a seizure after using the drugs.
The report found she did not receive the help she needed for 15 minutes, partially because one of the students with her insisted they had not taken drugs.
It also found that campus security guards did not check the teen for signs of overdose.
The report said at the time that "the only way forward is to look hard at what happened and learn by putting in place more training, rigorous processes, and safeguards so this tragedy is not repeated.”
Another person from the group of three students that included McIntyre-Starko also collapsed during the incident, but she survived after being given naloxone.
McIntyre-Starko was also eventually given naloxone and then taken to hospital. She was placed on life support within an hour of arriving but later died.
The report also said the school thought safeguards were in place since security had naloxone and had been trained to administer it, but what happened that day shows these preventive measures "did not meet the moment."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
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