Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Yukon's chief coroner cautions about 'extremely high number of drug-related deaths'

The Yukon provincial flag flies on a flag pole in Ottawa, Monday July 6, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld) The Yukon provincial flag flies on a flag pole in Ottawa, Monday July 6, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)
Share
WHITEHORSE -

Yukon's chief coroner has issued a warning to residents about an increase in opioid-related deaths.

Heather Jones says in a statement that officials have confirmed four deaths due to illicit drugs in the first seven days of this year and they're investigating three other deaths thought to be drug-related.

She says the extremely high number of drug-related deaths in the past several months is a catastrophic reminder of the dangers of illicit drug use in Yukon.

Jones says toxic street drugs are a public health and safety concern in the territory, and together with the acting medical health officer and the government, she is warning Yukon residents to be extremely careful.

Statistics released late last year showed the territory had the highest per capita opioid overdose death rate in Canada at 48.4 per 100,000 people.

The Tagish First Nation in Carcross declared a state of emergency last week after it said there were three drug-related fatalities impacting its community in the first week of the new year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2022.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

The brother of a 27-year-old man who was fatally shot in Scarborough over the weekend has been arrested and charged in connection with his death, say police.

Ontario's police watchdog has decided there are no grounds to believe Sudbury police committed a crime during a difficult arrest in May where the suspect's neck was broken.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected