Separate overdoses prompt police warning about lethal drugs in Surrey, B.C.

SURREY, B.C. – RCMP are warning of lethal illicit drugs circulating in Surrey, B.C., after separate overdoses in a short time frame.

Police say they were called to a home early Thursday and despite life-saving efforts by paramedics, a 46-year-old woman died.

Minutes later, police were called to help ambulance paramedics at a shelter where two people had overdosed after injecting an unknown drug.

Shelter staff administered overdose-reversing drugs and revived both people, who were taken to hospital.

Police say none of the bystanders in that incident were willing to provide information about the source or type of drug used.

The overdoses prompted the public warning about strong illicit drugs circulating and a reminder that people shouldn’t use alone and need to have a naloxone kit on hand.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 18, 2021.