Blood Tribe confirms 16 fatal overdoses from dangerous drug


Members of the Blood Tribe participated in anti-drug rally in January. Photo from Blood Tribe Chief & Council / Facebook

The Blood Tribe of Alberta has seen 16 fatal drug overdoses in just the past seven months, The Calgary Herald reports.

The deaths have been traced to an illicit version of fentanyl, known on the street as Oxy 80. The drug is extremely toxic and dangerous.

“I never in my wildest dreams thought it would get this bad,” Dr. Esther Tailfeathers, who has been treating patients on the reserve and trying to get addicts off the drug, told the paper.

Two additional people died on Friday of suspected overdoses. Another two overdosed and survived.

The Blood Tribe Police Service has dedicated additional resources to combating the drug. The tribe also has declared a state of emergency.

Get the Story:
Two die, two others survive overdoses of 'extremely potent' fentanyl on Blood Tribe (The Calgary Herald 3/22)
Two deaths on Blood Tribe linked to powerful fentanyl drug (The Calgary Sun 3/22)
Blood Tribe drug investigations hampered by staff constraints (The Calgary Herald 3/18)

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Blood Tribe declares emergency in response to drug problems (03/06)
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