“The most devastating year for First Nation people,” with toxic drug crisis, says FNHA

By Alexandra Mehl  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter With the province seeing 596 deaths due to the toxic drug crisis from January to the end of March, 2023 is only three deaths short of the record breaking year in 2022, which had 599 fatalities over the first three months. Since 2016, when the provincial public health emergency was declared, more than 11,000 lives have been lost. Drugs across the province have grown increasingly toxic, leaving Nuu-chah-nulth friends, family, and the broader communities grieving the loss of their loved ones. Of the 11,000 lives lost throughout the province, one thousand are First Nations, said Nel Wieman, originally from Little Grand Rapids First Nation and First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) acting chief medical officer, at event for the release of 2022 Toxic Drug…

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