Drugs Blamed For 7 Deaths In 24 Hours

Sun., Dec. 21, 1997

From Staff And Wire Reports

Lethal street drugs were blamed for killing seven people in Vancouver’s notorious downtown east side in a 24-hour period.

Coroner Liana Wright said the victims were all men in their early 20s and 30s. Another man was in Vancouver Hospital with irreversible brain damage.

No names were released.

The deaths began occurring Thursday, after welfare checks were distributed Wednesday.

Judy McGuire, manager of the needle exchange program at the Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society, said fatal overdoses in the area normally occur at the rate of one a day.

She said she had heard rumors that heroin sold as cocaine was responsible for some of the seven deaths that occurred in 24 hours Thursday and Friday.

“People think it’s less potent than it really is and there’s some pretty strong heroin getting circulated out there,” she said.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.