The Yukon’s opioid crisis is continuing to flare as the loss of lives mounts.

Yukon coroner Heather Jones provided an update on the situation this morning.

“The Yukon Coroner’s Service (YCS) reports that the tragic loss of lives due to drug overdoses continues to rise in the Yukon at an alarming rate,” she said in a news release.

“It is both heartbreaking and staggering that as of Nov. 26, YCS confirms 21 lost lives due to toxic illicit drug use since Jan. 1 of this year (with more currently under investigation).

“All of these deaths involved opioids in various formats of fentanyl, and a large percentage also involved cocaine. Alcohol and benzodiazepines (‘benzos’) are also seen in some of these fatalities.”

The Yukon, like most other Canadian jurisdictions, Jones said, “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, 54 individuals in the Yukon have lost their lives to the illicit use of opioids. Eighty-five per cent of those total 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 64 lives to drug overdoses since spring 2016.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, 32 drug-overdose deaths occurred in the Yukon.

“Twenty-nine of these involved opioids and all but one of these deaths were fentanyl-related,” Jones said.

“During this time, we have seen the drug supply become more and more toxic and unstable.

“Seventy-three per cent of these deaths have occurred since January of this year, with numbers tragically increasing over these past three months. We are on a frightening trajectory.”

According to national data compiled from chief coroner and chief medical examiner offices across the country, Canada currently has what is referred to as “a crude rate” (deaths per a population of 100,000) of 19.4 deaths due to opioids.

Since this crisis began in 2016, British Columbia has consistently led the country with the highest “crude rate” for opioid deaths.

Data indicate the current “crude rate” in B.C. has skyrocketed to 40.4 deaths.

“With the recent confirmed deaths in the Yukon, our ‘crude rate’ has surpassed this to  become the highest in the country, with an astounding 48.4 deaths due to opioids per 100,000 people,” Jones said.

“For this office, and most certainly all of us, this is shocking. Opioid deaths now represent over 20 per cent of all deaths investigated by Yukon Coroner’s Service from January 1 to Nov. 26, 2021.

“This must be seen as a medical crisis,” Jones added.

“These deaths for the most part are people who are dying alone in their homes. And when naloxone (a temporary antidote to the effects of opioid overdose) can be administered, it appears that it is becoming less and less effective against the increasing toxicity of the drugs.

“As these numbers continue to grow, so too, does the burden of grief and unimaginable losses felt throughout our territory.

“These drugs are killing our children, our parents, our aunties and uncles, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews, our grand children and yes, our grandparents,” Jones said. “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. More and more Yukon families are being left with a devastating reality in the wake of these lost lives,” she added.

“Sadly, it is safe to say that most Yukoners do not have to look very far to find some connection to the devastating impact this crisis is having.”

“This is the stark reality all of the Yukon is dealing with,” NDP Leader Kate White told the Star early this afternoon. “There isn’t a community that isn’t affected.”