Paramedics responded to 397 overdose calls in Mission in 2021, a dramatic jump from previous years.
By comparison, in 2020 there were 218 overdose calls in Mission.
BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) released data on overdose calls across the province Wednesday (Jan. 12). Their chart shows dramatic rises across the board in almost all communities. Those numbers are most dramatic in larger cities.
In total, paramedics across B.C. responded to a record 35,525 overdose calls last year, up 31 per cent compared to 2020. That works out to about 97 per day.
However, in reality, many days are busier than others. BCEHS said in their report that the worst month for calls was in July.
Chilliwack had 821 overdose calls in 2021, and Abbotsford had 1,368. Both those cities also have significant increases over the past five years.
Abbotsford is one of only seven B.C. cities that had more than 1,000 overdose calls last year. The others were Kamloops (1,068), Prince George (1,305), Kelowna (1,588), Victoria (1,952), Surrey (3,674) and Vancouver with 9,993 overdose calls.
People who use opioids are reminded to use the Lifeguard app and to not use alone.
READ MORE: Black Press Media launches updated Overdose Prevention resource guide
READ MORE: B.C. paramedics receive record number of overdose calls in 2021, up 31% since 2020
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jessica.peters@abbynews.com
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