More young people are dying from toxic drugs, warns chief medical examiner

Maddie Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 16, 2025 3:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: 33 minutes ago

Teenagers arsenic young arsenic 14 years aged are dying from cause overdoses successful caller "gut-wrenching" incidents, says Newfoundland and Labrador's main aesculapian examiner.

Dr. Nash Denic joined the RCMP successful a property league Wednesday. Cocaine is present the starring cause liable for overdose deaths successful Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the RCMP.

It comes a time aft CBC News published a months-long probe exposing the province's deadly cocaine occupation and tracking the drugs from Colombia to Canada, and yet to Labrador communities.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported 61 drug-related deaths successful the state past year, 34 of them from cocaine. CBC News has reported deaths from cocaine person spiked since 2014.

"The drugs presently connected the marketplace cannot beryllium trusted," Denic said, referring some to cocaine and counterfeit drugs that person gained popularity among young radical recently.

Some of those substances see pressed pills made of bromazolam, methamphetamine and MDMA, besides known arsenic ecstasy, disguised arsenic Xanax; arsenic good arsenic fake Dilaudid composed of protonitazine, a synthetic opioid implicit 20 times much potent than fentanyl.

"If you tin conscionable imagine, ideate the 2 grains of salt-size fentanyl is capable to nutrient decease successful individuals, you tin lone ideate however overmuch you request of the caller opioid," said Denic.

Denic besides told reporters immoderate younker are trying drugs astatine a precise young age, truthful they wouldn't person immoderate built-up tolerance. Even if they did, Denic says, caller opioids specified arsenic nitazenes — which are sometimes chopped into different drugs — are highly toxic.

WATCH | Police accidental cocaine is getting stronger successful N.L.: 

He says the individuals who precocious died from counterfeit drugs were younger than 20 years old. The youngest caller unfortunate is 14 years old, Denic said.

"You ne'er cognize which enactment is going to kill you," helium said, going backmost to the taxable of cocaine.

Overdose symptoms

Jane Henderson, a harm simplification advisor with Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, says harm simplification is an evidence-based attack that recognizes substance usage is portion of our communities and aims to trim the consequences associated with it.

Henderson added the Good Samaritan Act legally protects radical who question exigency assistance during an overdose. 

"Overdoses tin hap to anyone," she said, and knowing the signs tin prevention a life.

Signs whitethorn include:

• Slow oregon nary breathing,

• Blue lips oregon fingertips,

• Choking and gurgling sounds,

• Unresponsiveness.

In the lawsuit of an opioid overdose, naloxone whitethorn assistance earlier exigency services arrive. Naloxone kits are escaped and readily disposable crossed the province, says Henderson.

Naloxone does not enactment for cocaine overdoses.

"To those of you who are utilizing drugs, your beingness matters. You merit safety, dignity and support," said Henderson.

"We recognize that erstwhile abstinence is not realistic, determination are ways for you to enactment safer."

Download our free CBC News app to motion up for propulsion alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador.  Click here to sojourn our landing page.