Fraser Valley/Vancouver – Another Welfare Wednesday come and gone and another record for overdoses. BC EHS Emergency Health Services say they responded to 130 overdoes on Friday July 27. In their twitter release, they did not say how many may have died, but the number sets the bar even higher than the past record in April 2017.
Yesterday, July 27, 2018 BCEHS paramedics responded to 130 suspected overdose calls – the highest in 1 day, a number seen only once before in BC in April 2017. Thankfully all lives saved. Tell your families, tell your friends: Don’t Use Alone, and Call 911 if you suspect an OD.
— BC Emergency Health Services (@BC_EHS) July 28, 2018
Linda Lupini, executive vice president of BC Emergency Health Services, said the highest numbers were in the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions, with 48 and 46 suspected overdoses, respectively.
130 overdoses yesterday across B.C. Highest in a single day since April 2017. All 130 responded to were saved. Please be careful and don’t use alone. Very toxic supply right now. @charliesmithvcr @cbcnewsbc @CTVVancouver @sarahblyth @GlobalBC https://t.co/L9clDgBkTO
— Linda Lupini (@LupiniLinda) July 28, 2018
A 2016 study confirmed what many in Emergency services and the recovery community already knew. Overdoes always spike in the two days following every Welfare Wednesday.