Lab results confirm 5 fentanyl-related deaths in Yukon since last year

After months of waiting, the Yukon Coroner's Officehas received lab results from B.C. confirming there have been five fentanyl-relateddeaths in Yukon in just over a year.

"Fentanyl is not a B.C.-only problem. It is a problem everywhere, It is in Yukon now and it is killing Yukoners," said Heather Jones, acting chief coroner, in a statement.

The deaths are worrying to Yukon's chief medical officer of health, who has been warning people about the risk of opioids and the unreliability of street drugs.

"It's around, it's unpredictable," says Dr. Brendan Hanley. "It could show up at any time and it can be disguised in numerous forms."

Hanley says one problem is thatpills sometimes resemblebrand-name drugs such asXanax or Oxycontin. These fake pills, he says, can be wildly unpredictable in their levelof fentanyl content.

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"Even one identical pillto another could be very different in how muchfentanylis contained in that," he says.

The coroner's officehas released no information about those deceased, such astheir names or the communities where they died.

Lab results take four to six months

There is no forensic toxicologist in Canada's three territories, so Yukon relies on forensic services in B.C. Obtaining a forensic toxicology report in Yukon usually requires four to six months of waiting.

Hanley says that delay makes things difficultas the territory is trying to understand the extent of its problems with fentanyl.

He says there could be more recent deaths involvingfentanyl, but the territory is waiting onlab results.

"Because of a lag in getting results, there may be confirmation of other [fentanyl-related] deaths. We just don't know. Without evidence at the scenewe just have to wait for those toxicology results," Hanley said.

Both Hanleyand Jonesare urging people to avoid street drugsor at least use them alongside someone else who could respond in case of overdose.

Yukon has also made naloxone kits available in different places.Naloxone can temporarily reverse a fentanyl overdose.

• Yukon free naloxone distribution expands to local health centres after 4 deaths in 2011