Merritt RCMP implement two-pronged approach to overdose deaths
MERRITT, B.C. — According to the latest report from the BC Coroners Service, the City of Merritt has the highest illicit drug death rate per 100,000 people in British Columbia. From January to April, six illicit drug deaths have been reported in Merritt.
“While drug use and drug overdoses are clearly a social and public health issue, the distribution of illegal drugs is a police matter. To address the issue of illegal drug distribution and overdoses, the Merritt RCMP has set out a two-pronged approach,” stated Staff Sergeant Major Steph Drouin.
“The first approach is rooted in enforcement with a goal to identify the source of the incoming harmful drugs into our communities and then work towards developing the grounds needed to hold those responsible before the courts.
“The second approach is rooted in the implementation of an opioid strategy to tackle the number of overdoses in our communities through education and the use of naloxone kits.”
