Two people have died in Nelson of drug poisonings, according to the Nelson Police Department.
The first death occurred Thursday, March 25, while the other came on Sunday in the Cottonwood Falls and Railtown areas of Nelson.
“Although these events are unrelated and occurred days apart, NPD is reminding the public of current high dangers in the local illicit drug supply, which may draw a nexus to these events,” said the police statement.
It’s not clear what drugs were used, or if they contained fentanyl. The BC Coroners Service says illicit fentanyl and analogues have been detected in 87 per cent of drug fatalities between 2018 and 2020.
The toxic drug supply crisis claimed six lives in Nelson last year, and a total of 13 from 2016 through to the end of 2020.
There were 155 fatalities in the province in February, according to the Coroners Service.
From 2016 when the crisis was announced to to 2020, the province has had 6,743 deaths due to illicit drug toxicity.
ANKORS, located at 101 Baker St., offers free, anonymous drug checking. For more, visit https://www.ankorsvolunteer.com/.
READ MORE: Meet new Nelson police chief Donovan Fisher
