There were 43 overdose calls over 24 hours in Vancouver this past weekend

In what they called a “staggering” statistic, Vancouver Firefighters said they responded to a total of 75 calls in a 24-hour period this past weekend.

See also

• Vancouver had more than one fatal overdose per day in 2018
• 'Urgent warning' issued after 12 overdoses on Sunday in Surrey
• 5 ways to spot alcohol or drug addiction in the workplace

Of these calls, Vancouver Deputy Fire Chief Tyler Moore tweeted that 43 or the calls were for overdoses, and noted that firefighters were “very, very, busy this weekend.”

This weekend crews working in the #DTES were faced with a staggering 75 incidents in 24 hrs. Sadly many of those were drug overdose calls. Incredible work of all first responders including @BC_EHS & volunteers at the #OverdosePreventionSociety. @CBCVancouver @CKNW @FireChiefReid pic.twitter.com/i1DM5lJt1b

— Van Fire Fighters (@IAFF18) March 25, 2019

There were 43 overdoses in @CityofVancouver last Friday. @IAFF18 @VanFireRescue were very busy this weekend. #vfrs https://t.co/kXtMUbNrB2

— Deputy Chief Tyler Moore (@DeputyTMoore) March 25, 2019

The tweets follow a recent report from the BC Coroners Service, which found that nearly one person in Vancouver died from a fatal drug overdose every day in 2018.

According to the report, 382 people died from an overdose in Vancouver last year,  compared with 376 people in 2017.

“The unrelenting overdose crisis continues to take mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, friends and loved ones away from people all across Vancouver,” said Mayor Kennedy Stewart at the time.

In total, there were 1,489 suspected drug overdose deaths across BC in 2018, which averages to four deaths per day.