Latest news with #Denic
CBC
16-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
More young people are dying from toxic drugs, warns chief medical examiner
Recent overdose victims were younger than 20. The youngest was just 14, says chief medical examiner 13 minutes ago Duration 1:08 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.: Cocaine is getting stronger — and growing more deadly — says, chief medical examiner 54 minutes ago Duration 2:03 Members of the RCMP and Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical say cocaine is the leading drug responsible for overdose deaths in the province. The statement follows a CBC News report showing the drug's effect on families in Labrador. Ryan Cooke explains. 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. 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."
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
More young people are dying from toxic drugs, warns chief medical examiner
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.
CBC
30-01-2025
- Health
- CBC
A post-pandemic spike in drug deaths continued in N.L. last year. The biggest culprit? Cocaine
On the day he sold his pickup truck, Jeff Bourne looked at the passenger seat and counted all the people who once rode with him that are no longer living. He stopped after 30. Bourne, who runs the peer support group U-Turn Addiction Recovery in Carbonear, N.L., has been losing more friends lately than ever before. "They're not bad people. They're just sick people that's trying to get well." At least 74 people died from consuming drugs in Newfoundland and Labrador last year, eclipsing 2023's record of 73 deaths. Of the total number of drug deaths last year, 61 were deemed accidental, nine were suicides and four were undetermined. The numbers, which were shared with CBC Investigates by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, show cocaine was the deadliest drug in the province, contributing to 34 deaths. Fentanyl was the key factor in 17 deaths, while benzodiazapines were found to be at fault in 14 deaths. Tammy Bourne — peer support lead at U-Turn — said there was a shift during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is now factoring into the fatalities they're experiencing. "We've had a lot of people who had a lot of long-term recovery in, and went back out using during the pandemic because of the stress and the isolation," she said. "We've had a lot of deaths of people who've been coming around for a long time. We've had a lot of deaths since the pandemic." That's backed up by the numbers, which show the number of accidental drug deaths nearly doubled in 2023, coming down only slightly in 2024. Opioids and stimulants a dangerous mix, says medical examiner There were more than 550 autopsies in Newfoundland and Labrador last year. Of those, 13 per cent were from drug deaths. The bulk of those were performed by the province's Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Nash Denic. Some were obvious — people found with drug paraphernalia and signs of long-term drug use, like a road map leading to the cause of death. Others were more complicated, showing only internal hints of drug use later confirmed by toxicology results. Opioids remain top of mind for harm reduction advocates and grab the majority of attention in the news, but Denic said people should always be cognizant of cocaine's risks. "Individuals have to know cocaine is still [the] most dangerous drug, and the reason being is that we don't have an antidote," Denic said. An opioid overdose can be reversed with naloxone, but cocaine cannot. Fifteen of the 74 total deaths last year involved a stimulant, such as cocaine, and an opioid taken together. Denic said in many of those cases naloxone was administered, but it did not revive the person. "They may have fentanyl on board, but they also may have cocaine. And the cocaine is going to be the substance that is going to kill the individual, so the Narcan will not help." Jeff and Tammy Bourne switch into different modes depending on what they're doing on a given day. As people, they have lived experience with addiction and mental illness. As peer support workers, they share those experiences with others to make them feel more like friends, and less like clients. But, when someone dies, they have to take on a different, almost parental role, to help others get through it without relapsing. That's taking a toll on the couple as of late. "We don't really have an amount of time for us to grieve," Jeff Bourne said.
