News release

RCMP investigating youth overdose

June 28, 2024 - City of Prince George, British Columbia
From: Prince George RCMP

Content

Prince George RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit is currently investigating a drug-related overdose incident that occurred at around 10:00 p.m. on June 26, 2024.

Frontline police officers were called to a residence on the 7600-block of McMaster Crescent for a 16-year-old youth who was located there unconscious. The youth was transported to the hospital by emergency health services, where she was found to have high levels of fentanyl in her blood.

Though in B.C. adults are allowed to possess up to 2.5 grams of illicit substances for personal use and under certain conditions, the law is clear that this is not the case for our youth.  Trafficking illicit substances (which includes selling, moving, delivering, distributing or sharing illicit substances) is an offence under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and there are potentially serious consequences for engaging in this activity.

“When the actions of a drug trafficker result in a death these consequences can increase substantially.  In Prince George, all drug related deaths are investigated by the RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Service.  In this case, we also recognize the exceedingly high expectation on police from the public when a youth appears to have been targeted by a fentanyl trafficker,” states Sergeant Whitehouse, Commander of the Prince George RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit.

Police officers remained at the residence for the majority of the day while they executed a search warrant to help determine the circumstances around what occurred and if any criminality can be established.

The youth remains in hospital in serious condition and the RCMP Victim Services unit has been engaged to work with those effected by this incident. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the youth as they deal with these tragic circumstances.

Associated links

• Update on youth overdose investigation

Contacts