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More young people are dying from toxic drugs, warns chief medical examiner

More young people are dying from toxic drugs, warns chief medical examiner

Yahoo16-04-2025

Dr. Nash Denic, Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical examiner, says the drugs currently circulating on the streets cannot be trusted due to high toxicity. (Ted Dillon/CBC)
Teenagers as young as 14 years old are dying from drug overdoses in recent "gut-wrenching" incidents, says Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical examiner.
Dr. Nash Denic joined the RCMP in a press conference Wednesday. Cocaine is now the leading drug responsible for overdose deaths in Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the RCMP.
It comes a day after CBC News published a months-long investigation exposing the province's deadly cocaine problem and tracking the drugs from Colombia to Canada, and eventually to Labrador communities.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported 61 drug-related deaths in the province last year, 34 of them from cocaine. CBC News has reported deaths from cocaine have spiked since 2014.
"The drugs currently on the market cannot be trusted," Denic said, referring both to cocaine and counterfeit drugs that have gained popularity among young people recently.
Some of those substances include pressed pills made of bromazolam, methamphetamine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy, disguised as Xanax; as well as fake Dilaudid composed of protonitazine, a synthetic opioid over 20 times more potent than fentanyl.
"If you can just imagine, imagine the two grains of salt-size fentanyl is enough to produce death in individuals, you can only imagine how much you need of the new opioid," said Denic.
Denic also told reporters some youth are trying drugs at a very young age, so they wouldn't have any built-up tolerance. Even if they did, Denic says, new opioids such as nitazenes — which are sometimes cut into other drugs — are extremely toxic.
WATCH | Police say cocaine is getting stronger in N.L.:
He says the individuals who recently died from counterfeit drugs were younger than 20 years old. The youngest recent victim is 14 years old, Denic said.
"You never know which line is going to kill you," he said, going back to the topic of cocaine.
Overdose symptoms
Jane Henderson, a harm reduction consultant with Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, says harm reduction is an evidence-based approach that recognizes substance use is part of our communities and aims to reduce the consequences associated with it.
Harm reduction consultant Jane Henderson says anyone can experience a drug overdose. (Ted Dillon/CBC)
Henderson added the Good Samaritan Act legally protects people who seek emergency help during an overdose.
"Overdoses can happen to anyone," she said, and knowing the signs can save a life.
Signs may include:
Slow or no breathing,
Blue lips or fingertips,
Choking and gurgling sounds,
Unresponsiveness.
In the case of an opioid overdose, naloxone may help before emergency services arrive. Naloxone kits are free and readily available across the province, says Henderson.
Naloxone does not work for cocaine overdoses.
"To those of you who are using drugs, your life matters. You deserve safety, dignity and support," said Henderson.
"We understand that when abstinence is not realistic, there are ways for you to stay safer."
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.

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Psychedelic Science 2025 Unveils Science, Studies & Trials Tracks Showcasing Next Generation in Brain Imaging, Clinical Trials, and Neuroplasticity
Psychedelic Science 2025 Unveils Science, Studies & Trials Tracks Showcasing Next Generation in Brain Imaging, Clinical Trials, and Neuroplasticity

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Psychedelic Science 2025 Unveils Science, Studies & Trials Tracks Showcasing Next Generation in Brain Imaging, Clinical Trials, and Neuroplasticity

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Family of woman seen dragged from police cruiser calling for justice
Family of woman seen dragged from police cruiser calling for justice

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time2 hours ago

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Family of woman seen dragged from police cruiser calling for justice

The family of a Smiths Falls, Ont., woman is demanding justice after a video surfaced online that appears to show the woman being dragged from a police cruiser and held to the ground after her arrest. The video, posted anonymously on social media, appears to show one of the officers dragging the handcuffed woman by her left leg from the back seat of Smiths Falls Police Service cruiser parked at a crosswalk. The officer then appears to pin the woman to the ground for about 20 seconds before pulling her to her feet and pushing her back into the car. Sarah Black, who told CBC she's the sister of the woman in the video, said she and her parents were distraught after seeing it. "It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch," Black told CBC. According to Smiths Falls police, the 29-year-old woman was arrested after officers were called to a business on Main Street E. where she was allegedly causing a disturbance, including acting belligerently and throwing a table against a wall. The same woman was suspected in an alleged assault that had occurred earlier that evening at a different location. Police said the woman was arrested and placed in the back of the cruiser where she began spitting and kicking a Plexiglas divider. The woman is facing one count each of causing a disturbance and uttering threats, and two counts each of mischief under $5,000, assaulting police and failure to comply with probation. She was scheduled to appear in court in Perth, Ont., on Wednesday. McKenzie LeClair has now come forward as the woman who captured the incident on video from a nearby window. "When I started recording I thought it was just going to be like any other arrest, and then I [saw] how the police officer handled her and my stomach just dropped," she said. LeClair posted the video on Facebook where it quickly gained traction and sparked outrage among some members of the local community. Black, who lives in California, said she heard about it from her mother. The family isn't contesting the woman's arrest, Black said, but they do want the police officers involved to be held accountable for how they handled the situation. "There is no reason that that kind of force was necessary in that scenario," said Black. Black explained her sister is a "complex person" who has a history of mental health and substance use issues that her family has been trying to help her manage for many years. "My sister needs help, not more trauma, and officers clearly need better training for mental health intervention if this is how they behave in these kinds of situations," Black said. "The officer should be ashamed." Smiths Falls police Chief Jodi Empey confirmed in a statement that she has been made aware of the video circulating on social media. Empey said both officers who appear in the video have been placed on administrative duties pending an investigation, which will be handled by a different police service. "We have determined this matter to be an institutional conflict and therefore must refer it to another police service for investigation," Empey said. Smiths Falls police would not confirm which service will investigate the incident, and said Empey would not be commenting further. Black said she and her family are awaiting the results of that investigation. "We want accountability — proper accountability including a full and fair investigation — and if found in the wrong, we want the officer or officers responsible to be charged or fired if necessary," she said.

NorCal man who sold pills to teen gets prison after fatal overdose
NorCal man who sold pills to teen gets prison after fatal overdose

San Francisco Chronicle​

time19 hours ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

NorCal man who sold pills to teen gets prison after fatal overdose

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