Fredericton police warn spike in drug overdoses is ‘significant’ and ‘not normal’
Global News
There have been 33 overdose-related calls in September, and 13 of them were within a 24-hour period last week.
Fredericton police say a spate of drug overdose incidents in the city is alarming and abnormal.
There have been 33 overdose-related calls in September, and 13 of them were within a 24-hour period last week.
“It’s significant, it’s not normal, is what I can tell you,” said Insp. David Cooper with the Fredericton Police Force.
As of mid-September, officers have responded to 113 overdose calls that required medical intervention so far this year. In contrast, there were 109 calls in all of 2024.
Cooper says a rise in fentanyl use is driving that increase, especially when it’s combined with other substances.
“Fentanyl alone is a powerful drug … but we also find that when people are taking fentanyl, they think they’re taking fentanyl, but the drug is being mixed with other substances, and the toxicity of those substances we really don’t know,” he said.
“There have been so many overdoses. Fentanyl usage has been on the rise — that it’s not a surprise to us that this is happening in the city.”
Police add there have been six confirmed fatalities due to drug overdoses this year.
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