Police in Abbotsford, B.C., issue warning over toxic street drugs

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Police are warning the public about toxic drugs circulating in Abbotsford, B.C.

The department says in a statement the drugs on the street are much more potent and the opioid crisis has worsened in the city.

Insp. Tom Chesley says police are concerned about the potential for an increase in overdoses and deaths.

Chesley says the drugs are disproportionately affecting people in their 20s.

Police are cautioning people to not use drugs alone and to use at one of the city’s overdose prevention sites if possible.

B.C. has seen several record-breaking months of overdose deaths in 2020, with more than 1,200 people dying so far this year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2020.