Jury recommends education, training following UVic student’s overdose death

The jury has made a number of recommendations following an inquest into the death of an 18-year-old university student in January 2024.

Sidney McIntyre-Starko was 18 years old when she died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in her dorm room at the University of Victoria.

She and her friends had snorted a substance they’d found at the bottom of a box of coolers.

The inquest into her death was called after her parents went public with concerns over the response of UVic campus security and the length of time it took to give her naloxone and CPR.

2:38 Inquest into accidental overdose death of UVic student about to go to jury

The jury made recommendations about education, training and protocols around emergencies and the toxic drug crisis.

It wants Minister of Education and Child Care Lisa Beare to implement a program in high schools training students on how to administer CPR, how to use automated external defibrillators (AED), how to use and administer nasal naloxone and develop a presentation on identifying drugs and their risks and have that presentation available on a website for parents and others to access.

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To Anne Kang, the minister of post-secondary education and future skills, the jury recommends creating a program involving an in-person presentation about the drug crisis using real stories from survivors and / or family members of loved ones lost to the drug crisis.

2:32 Emergency dispatch system under scrutiny at coroner’s inquest into death of UVic student

They recommend the ministry consult with post-secondary institutions and municipalities to implement unique addresses for campuses so that buildings can be found easier and to avoid confusion around where emergency services need to go.

They recommend a map of the campus on the back of each student’s door with buildings clearly marked and for post-secondary institutions to allow time for campus security training each year to cover protocols and procedures in the case of emergency.

The jury also recommends that post-secondary institutions install CCTV cameras in public areas, such as bus loops, so that footage can be obtained at a later date, if necessary.

2:34 Coroner’s inquest into UVic student’s death hears testimony from 911 operator

To the University of Victoria, the jury recommends that all students attend a mandatory in-person or online presentation about how to contact 911 and campus security; how to obtain and administer naloxone; how to find and use an AED device; general info on the drug crisis and a summary for future reference; how to find safe drug supply testing sites, and the implementation of the course for the campus security officer training program.

The jury also recommends that that there will be no repercussions for requesting testing of drugs.

In an inquest, a jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations although a jury must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.