The Campbell River RCMP is touching on overdose prevention.
Cst. Maury Tyre says it’s usually a topic discussed by Island Health Authority, but he says police play a part in it as well.
Tyre says, “unfortunately, police often see the negative side to drug use as we are part of the first response group that responds to sudden deaths.”
“Personally, I’ve attended two suspected overdose deaths in recent weeks, and it’s heart-wrenching knowing what these people’s families go through with the death of a loved one,” Tyre says. “Ideally, of course, in a perfect world we wouldn’t have people using such dangerous illegal substances, but the world is not perfect.”
If you are a user, he’s reminding you that there are ways to protect yourself:
- Never use alone
- Keep a properly stocked naloxone kit nearby
- Use the harm reduction site on Dogwood Street
According to Tyre, oftentimes the people arrested for selling drugs have addiction issues of their own.
“These can be the people cutting and preparing the drugs for street level use, making things infinitely more dangerous. When we’re dealing with drugs so powerful that one extra grain could mean the difference between life and death, people need to ask, do I trust the person selling this to me with my life?”
Meanwhile, as of Wednesday evening, the Campbell River RCMP had responded to 9483 calls for service so far this year.
That’s an increase of 33 calls when compared to the same time period last year.
“While not a substantial increase, it’s important to note that the community also does not have the same influx of guests as other years due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Tyre adds. “That yearly influx typically brings with it more files.”
