A Cowichan Valley shelter exhausted its naloxone supply after 80 drug poisonings in 24 hours, prompting an urgent community response and health advisory.
Cowichan Valley Overdose Surge Drains Shelter’s Naloxone
Crisis Unfolds in Duncan
A shelter in Duncan, B.C., faced an unprecedented emergency on the night of Nov. 18 when reports of a severe spike in toxic drug poisonings flooded in. Officials estimate roughly 80 overdoses occurred within a 24-hour period, overwhelming frontline workers and straining local resources.
Shelter Staff Respond Under Pressure
Erin Kapela, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Cowichan Valley Branch, said the shelter she oversees rapidly distributed naloxone as overdoses spiked both inside and around the facility. Staff used and handed out so much of the overdose-reversal drug that their supply was fully depleted by the next morning.
Health Authority Confirms Sharp Increase
Island Health acknowledged a “dramatic increase” in poisoning events across the region during the same period. The authority assisted in delivering replenishment supplies to the shelter, noting it had not experienced its own shortage. No deaths had been confirmed as of Nov. 25 — a result Kapela credits to the swift actions of first responders, outreach workers, and community members.
Toxic Drug Supply Blamed
According to Kapela, the surge was caused by a highly dangerous batch of unregulated drugs circulating locally. She described the supply as “very, very toxic,” prompting Island Health to issue a public overdose advisory the following day warning residents of elevated risk.
Context in the Provincial Drug Crisis
The incident comes as B.C. continues to grapple with its toxic-drug emergency. As of Sept. 30, the province has recorded an estimated 1,384 deaths linked to unregulated substances this year — nearly half occurring in private homes, and about one-fifth outdoors. Despite the ongoing crisis, provincial fatalities have declined 31 per cent over the past two years.
Call for Long-Term Solutions
Kapela emphasized that lasting prevention requires more than crisis response. She said the region needs stable housing, wrap-around mental-health support and consistent access to harm-reduction services to avoid future mass-overdose events. “We know how to keep people safe,” she said. “If people had proper housing and care, situations like this could be prevented.”
