Revised - The Yukon opioid epidemic has claimed 14 lives so far this year.

A report released Tuesday by Heather Jones, the territory’s chief coroner, stated that as of that day, the Yukon has recorded 14 lost lives due to toxic illicit drug use since the New Year’s period.

The report says this doubles the numbers seen “when we last reported at the end of April.

“All of these deaths involved opioids in various formats of fentanyl and in combination with other illicit drugs and/or alcohol. 

“The Yukon, like most other Canadian jurisdictions, has suffered greatly under the strain of what has been deemed ‘the opioid crisis’, which found its way to us in the spring of 2016.”

Since that time and to date, 47 individuals – mostly men – in the Yukon have lost their lives to the illicit use of opioids. Eighty-three per cent of those deaths have involved fentanyl.

(A further 10 individuals have died as the result of non-opioid drug overdoses during that time-period. The Yukon has lost 57 lives to drug overdoses since the spring of 2016).

“As is well known, we saw a significant increase in opioid overdose deaths in 2020, with a total of 10 deaths, compared to the four investigated in 2019,” Jones said.

“2021 is already showing a 40-per-cent increase over the 2020 total, and the year will continue for another four months. 

“As these numbers continue to grow so to does the burden of grief and unimaginable losses felt throughout our communities,” the coroner added.

“We have seen, many times now, that no part of our society is unaffected. These deaths are occurring in young people barely out of their teens and to those well into their 70s.

“Friends, colleagues, family members – all loved contributors to all of our Yukon communities” the coroner added.

“More and more Yukon families are being left with a devastating reality found in the wake of these lost lives. This is a pain that is now close to so many of us.” 

The Yukon Coroner’s Service, she pointed out, “is mandated to speak for the dead; to give voice to our losses and bring to light messaging that can make a difference.

“The hope continues that we will all take the time to listen and really hear what these deaths are telling us.

“May we find the wisdom and compassion to support well-thought-out initiatives and to embrace struggling individuals; and together confront this continuing crisis,” the coroner concluded.

Bronte Renwick-Shields, the executive director of the Blood Ties Four Directions Centre, said her organization “is deeply saddened to hear of another seven Yukoners lost to overdose. 

“The overdose deaths for this year have already exceeded those in 2020. We must take urgent action to prevent more overdose deaths; we cannot continue to lose community members to this preventable death,” she said.

“Blood Ties looks forward to the opening of the supervised consumption site in Whitehorse (see story, this page) and recognizes its importance and necessity in addressing this crisis and saving lives.

“We continue to strongly advocate for the expedient implementation of safe supply as one of the most powerful tools we have in combating the overdose crisis,” Renwick-Shields added.

“To those who are looking for support, please reach out.”

The centre’s staff are available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and are with the Outreach Van from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. seven nights a week.

“This year alone, the Yukon has lost 14 people to opioid overdoses,” Dr. Brendan Hanley, the territory’s Liberal candidate for the Sept. 20 election, said on his Facebook campaign page.

“Ensuring that federal policy works to improve mental health and addictions supports is a key priority for my candidacy.”

International Overdose Awareness Day observed at LePage Park...