INSIDE: Ladies to tackle Mission mountains on bikes
Pg. 20 T H U R S D A Y
July 18, 2013
21 N E W S ,
SPORTS,
WEATHER
&
Mairi at Mission Folk Music Fest
E N T E R T A I N M E N T abbotsfordtimes.com
Lethal smack on the street Deadly form of heroin leads to spike in drug ODs
ROCHELLE BAKER incidents may be linked to RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com the presence of fentanyl in bbotsford Police are the street drug, he said. warning that a potenAnother man nearly lost tially lethal form of his life after a drug overdose heroin may be causing a took place early Wednesday dramatic spike in overdoses morning, according to the just days after it was revealed Abbotsford’s Warm Zone. that TV’s Glee star Cory MonMichele Giordano, coteith died from a toxic mix ordinator at the drop-in of the street centre that drug and serves Abbotsalcohol in ford’s street“We’re warning people Vancouver. entrenched The APD using heroin to use a women, said a has record- little at a time, less than woman came ed at least a a normal dose, and never running up the 39 per cent alone.... It’s lethal, it’s stairs from the jump in the alley, shouting toxic.” number of for someone to overdoses – Michele Giordano call 911. in the com“The guy munity had dropped since midand was conMay, said Const. Ian Mac- vulsing and foaming from Donald. the mouth,” said Giordano. There have been a total of His friends and Warm Zone seven overdoses, one of them employees stayed by his side fatal, and police suspect the as he dropped in and out
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– ROCHELLE BAKER/TIMES
A drug overdose occurred Wednesday, said Michele Giordano of the Warm Zone, above. The centre and APD are seeing a spike in overdoses and are warning a lethal form of heroin may be on the streets. of consciousness until the ambulance came, she said. The incident highlights
warnings the Warm Zone has also been making to its clients about risky heroin since
June. At the end of May, the Provincial Health Officer issued a warning about a
rash of overdoses associated heroin with fentanyl. The B.C. Coroners Service found there have been 23 deaths related to fentanyl in the first four months of 2013, up from 20 deaths related to the drug in all of 2012. The drug is dangerous, as it presents a much higher risk of overdose, but people buying it on the street might think they are taking heroin or oxycodone, as it may come in similar packaging, warned the health officer. Although toxicology results are still outstanding, the APD suspects the rise in overdoses they’ve noted are linked to fentanyl. The Warm Zone has also noted a rise in overdoses, even among long-time drug users, said Giordano. “We’re warning people using heroin to use a little at a time, less than a normal dose, and never alone,” she said. “Fentanyl is (more than) potent. It’s lethal, it’s toxic.” see DRUGS, page A3
Heat sparks crime wave at Abbotsford parks ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com
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bbotsford Police are warning residents not to put purses or bags into trunks while attending city parks, after a rash of thefts that started along with the warm weather. There have been 11 thefts from cars at a number of parks recently, as the number of people attending the recreational areas has spiked with the start of summer weather, said Const. Ian MacDonald. The thieves appear to be targeting purses or bags in
Suspects targeting purses and bags locked in trunks
trunks, taking the victims’ ID and credit cards, then quickly making lots of purchases, said MacDonald. The areas hit by the thefts include Albert Dyck, Willband Creek, Bateman Park, M a t s q u i Tr a i l Re g i o n a l Park, Mill Lake and Ellwood parks. Most of the parks hit feature trails or paths where people tend to park their cars and be gone for some
time, said MacDonald. “The thieves know that you’re out for a walk for the requisite 40 minutes, and they take advantage of that time,” he said. “It looks like there are several individuals involved . . . as these thefts end up being quite lucrative, especially if they end up with a credit card.” Residents heading into a park shouldn’t leave valu-
ables in the car, even in a locked trunk, said MacDonald, adding thieves likely target vehicles where they saw owners put possessions into the trunk. “It’s better to bring something portable, such a smaller wallet or the bare minimum, such as a credit card and driver’s licence, and bring it with you, if you are headed into the park,” he said. MacDonald also reminded people to close the windows of their vehicles despite the hot weather, to better prevent thefts.
– PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ROCHELLE BAKER
Police are warning people not to leave purses unattended in vehicles after a rash of thefts in city parks.
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