B.C. declares public health emergency as overdoses surge again
Fentanyl was developed as a prescription painkiller, but gained popularity as a street drug after OxyContin was removed from the market in 2012
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Thursday, April 14, 2016
British Columbia has declared a public health emergency after another surge in drug-related overdoses and deaths, making it the first province in the country to take such a step as others, including Ontario and Alberta, work to combat the effects of fentanyl. Provincial health officer Perry Kendall's decision comes after B.C. recently suffered its highest monthly total of overdose deaths in nearly a decade. (See also: How B.C.’s fentanyl crisis became a public-health emergency | British Columbia health officials call for drug decriminalization)
