Dropping temperature brings rise in overdose concerns in Saint John

Advocates and police are concerned with rising drug use among people experiencing homelessness in Saint John.

As temperatures around the region drop, officials who work with the homeless population say the level of desperation among those living on the street rises.

For many that means increasing substance use to help cope with all the added challenges that come with not having a place to call home during the coldest months of the year.

“We’ve hear firsthand accounts from our clients that say a lot of it is survival,” says Avenue B Harm Reduction executive director Laura MacNeill.

MacNeil adds people aren’t necessarily turning to substance because it’s fun.

“If you were out in the streets and you don’t have a place to go, I can imagine I would also make the choice to do what I could to make it less painful,” she says.

While drug use on the streets is nothing new, the toxicity level of the drugs circulating are now higher and more lethal then ever. In a recent update given to Fredericton’s public safety committee, Chief Gary Forward says drug seizures are higher than ever, and fentanyl seizures have surpassed cocaine.

That includes seizures of carfentanil, which is a much more powerful and lethal strain of the drug. It’s led to nearly triple the calls for overdoses which have resulted in nine deaths this year.

There have been 15 deaths in Saint John’s homeless communities in 2025 according to Fresh Start executive director Melanie Vautour, including four in recent weeks. While Vautour wouldn’t confirm specifics out of respect for the families, she did confirm some of these deaths were the result of a fatal overdose.

She says even those who are able to manage their substance use tend to increase their usage to cope with the winter months.

“We have the magic pills that make sure you’re not hungry and you’re not cold, and that’s just the truth on the street,” Vautour says. “Substance use for many starts as a survival mechanism and then becomes like an actual substance abuse problem and, in winter, we see that increase just as a means of trying to survive and not really succumb to the elements.”

While officials do not promote substance use, they urge those who do use to test their drugs beforehand to have a better idea of what they are actually taking. Avenue B has a pair of machines that people can have their drugs tested on with no questions asked.

MacNeill notes, more often than not, the drugs on the streets are a mix of just about everything.

“Folks that have administered naloxone, both their clients and our community partners are saying that it’s increasing the amount of naloxone that’s needed to bring somebody back,” says MacNeill, adding her office offers naloxone training for anyone who would like it.

Vautour adds the roots of the issue, like housing and wrap around supports, need to be addressed to help battle the trend of rising overdoes.

It’s something she says has become far too normal.“We lose people every month, all year long,” says Vautour. “This is becoming the norm for our unsheltered population.”

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.