Six people under 19 among B.C.’s skyrocketing drug death toll

Another 174 British Columbians lost their lives to toxic drug poisoning in February according to a new report from the BC Coroners Service. Six people who died were under the age of 19.

It’s the 17th straight month the province recorded more than 150 illicit drug deaths, and averages more than six per day. Men made up 78 per cent of the deaths, and the majority were between 30 and 59 years old.

The worst cities for deaths include Surrey, Vancouver, and Victoria.

“By Health Service Delivery Area, the highest death rates in 2022 have been recorded in Vancouver (78.0), Thompson Cariboo (76.2) and Northern Interior (73.6), underscoring the reality that the impact of the toxic drug crisis is being felt in communities throughout B.C.,” the report reads.

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The report also found fentanyl is being used in higher concentrations. February was the third month in a row in which more than 20 per cent of test results found concentrations greater than 50 micrograms per litre. Etizolam, a benzodiazepine analogue, is also becoming more and more present in the deaths. The drug renders naloxone ineffective, making it difficult to revive someone from an overdose.

Preliminary data reveals that 9,410 people have died due to toxic drugs since January 2016.

“As we approach the sixth anniversary of the declaration of the public-health emergency into substance-related harms, we are continuing to lose members of our communities at an unprecedented and terrifying rate,” said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner.

“The deaths of another 174 B.C. residents, so many of them young and middle-aged men with years of life ahead of them, is yet another reminder that urgent action is needed on a provincewide scale. I extend my deepest sympathy to the many families, friends and communities who are grieving the loss of a loved one.”

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson calls the deaths heartbreaking in a statement released Tuesday.

“We know there is more to do, and we won’t stop working until we turn this crisis around,” she said, noting that the province is adding 50 complex-care housing spaces in Langley and Fraser South as part of an $164-million province-wide investment to help those dealing with addictions and who are experiencing homelessness.