N.W.T. coroners have new tool to identify drug-related deaths more quickly

The N.W.T. has a new tool that allows officials to more quickly determine whether toxic drugs were involved in a person's death.

The new machine, being used by the territory's coroner service, can provide toxicology results from a deceased person within a day.

According to officials, illicit drugs in the N.W.T. are sometimes deliberately contaminated with other substances, and it's becoming more common. There have been 28 opioid-related deaths in the N.W.T. since the coroner service began collecting data in 2016.

Previously, it would take an average of six weeks for N.W.T. coroners to identify whether toxic drugs were present in a deceased person's body. That's because blood samples had to be sent to a specialized lab in Edmonton for testing.

Tony Jones, a coroner in Yellowknife, suggested that the new machine could make that process quicker.

Jones says the drug-identifying tool, which the coroner service received last month, has completely changed their ability to share important information about drugs that are present in communities.

"If we can save one life, that's the most important thing, to be able to look after the citizens here in the Northwest Territories," said Jones.

"I think by having this machine, you know, it's going to allow us to do that."

The Randox MultiStat analyzer machine tests for 29 different drugs and can provide preliminary results from a deceased person in 30 minutes. 

"The process to get those results, it was taking way too long. We saw this as a way to be able to speed up that process. So I brought it to my manager and in turn we spoke to [chief public health officer] Dr. [Kami] Kandola, who was probably more excited than we were about the machine," said Jones.

When a person dies, the coroner takes samples that Jones said can include blood, urine, or saliva. Not every deceased person is tested, Jones added. He said they evaluate what was observed at the scene where the person died, and whether there's evidence suggesting drug use. 

Jones believes the N.W.T. may be the first jurisdiction in Canada to use the machine as a part of the standard practice for coroners.

Getting ahead of toxic drug deaths a priority, chief public health officer says

The territory's chief public health officer (CPHO) said the drug trade and toxic drug use has become much more prevalent and dangerous in communities. 

"We're starting to see the changes, we're starting to see the organization, we're starting to see the people come in. We're starting to see the opioid-related toxicity, stimulant-related toxic deaths as well," said Kandola

Kandola said knowing sooner about drug-related deaths allows her to notify the public when there's a potentially dangerous batch of drugs circulating.

She referred to what happened in Hay River, N.W.T., in 2022, when there were six deaths related to opioids in that community. Kandola said because of the pandemic and the lengthy testing process at that time, health officials weren't able to issue a news release about it until early 2023.

Kandola said those deaths were connected to crack cocaine, but the drug supply was likely intentionally contaminated with fentanyl or fentanyl analogues.

"I have done about 15 public health advisories since 2020, and the nature would be synthetic designer drugs that are not regulated, are not meant for medical use — they're counterfeit drugs," said Kandola.

Kandola said that so far in 2024, there have been two opioid-related deaths in the territory.

She says aside from toxicology testing on the deceased, her office also gets information about toxic drug use from health-care providers, and about drug seizures from RCMP.

Kandola says she's thankful that her office and the territory's coroner service support each other in their work.

"We talk, and I thought that was the norm — but it's not the norm, for the coroner's office and the CPHO to be so closely aligned. Other jurisdictions don't have this type of relationship," said Kandola.

Jones added that everyone in his office cares about what they do, and about assisting families through difficult times.