Abbotsford records 5 drug overdose deaths in less than 10 hours

There were a startling number of drug overdose deaths in Abbotsford on Friday.

The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) is warning local drug users after five deaths – three men and two women – were recorded between 10:15 am and 7:20 pm yesterday. Four of the five individuals died indoors, and all of them died alone.

“The Abbotsford Police Department continues to warn people of the inherent dangers in the use of street drugs,” reads a release from APD.

“Today, we are amplifying that warning and suggesting that the drugs currently on our streets are even more deadly than usual. In addition, a person’s risk is exacerbated by using full doses of the unknown drugs and using alone.”

Toxicology exams will determine whether the causes of death were fentanyl or carfentanil.

Over the past year, the Lower Mainland recorded deaths from drug overdoses on a daily basis on average.

Across the entire province, the death toll reached 780 during the first half of 2017, averaging at 130 per month, according to the BC Coroners Service. In contrast, there were 978 deaths in BC in 2016, with an average of 82 per month.

At this rate, the 2017 death toll from the opioid crisis is expected to far exceed last year’s number.