Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can expect to get regular monthly updates on overdose deaths in the not-too-distant future.
The scourge of drug toxicity first came to light in tragic fashion during the summer of 2023 when numbers suddenly spiked, leading to questions and concerns in the community.
Since then, drug toxicity deaths have increased steadily in Newfoundland and Labrador with periodic spikes, depending on the substances that are available, and in circulation in the community.
That’s prompted regular reminders to the community about having a Naloxone kit on hand to allow emergency responders the time to get patients to hospital for life-saving overdose treatment.
The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office is working with NLHS in providing a regular monthly update on drug toxicity deaths in the province—similar to online COVID and respiratory illness dashboards—starting later this year.
