5 B.C. correctional officers needed medical treatment after fentanyl exposure
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Outcome reported
- Five correctional officers in British Columbia, Canada, required medical treatment after exposure to fentanyl within a prison.
- The incident occurred on June 11 when officers encountered fentanyl during a search, and an inmate's aggressive actions led to the exposure.
- The union representing officers is calling for enhanced security measures, citing rising drug volumes and violence in institutions that put staff lives at risk.
Five correctional officers at an Abbotsford, British Columbia institution required urgent medical attention after accidental exposure to fentanyl, a highly toxic substance. The incident, which occurred on June 11, saw three officers transported to the hospital by ambulance. Some required the overdose-reversal drug Narcan, and one officer needed chest compressions en route to the hospital.
We simply cannot ignore the reality facing Correctional Officers every day. The abundance of dangerous drugs inside our institutions is putting officers’ lives at risk.
The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO-SACC-CSN) reported that the fentanyl was discovered during a routine search of the institution. The situation escalated when an inmate became aggressive and attempted to destroy the drug, leading to the officers' exposure.
Union officials highlighted that this incident is not isolated, pointing to a rise in violence and the increasing volume of illicit drugs within correctional facilities. John Randle, regional president for UCCO-SACC-CSN's Pacific Region, stated that officers' lives are put at risk daily by the abundance of dangerous drugs. He emphasized that the officers were performing their duties when exposed to a lethal street drug.
Our members were simply doing their jobs when they were exposed to one of the most lethal drugs on the streets. This should never happen.
In response, the union is demanding stronger security measures within Canada's correctional institutions. Frédérick Lebeau, national president of UCCO-SACC-CSN, criticized Correctional Service Canada's cuts to security positions, arguing these decisions significantly reduce the ability to detect and intercept drugs before they enter facilities. Lebeau warned that such measures make federal institutions more dangerous for officers, staff, inmates, and the public.
These decisions will only make federal institutions more dangerous for correctional officers, staff, inmates, and ultimately the general public.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Global News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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