More than 1,600 people have died in B.C. from toxic drugs in 2022 so far
Posted November 7, 2022 11:04 am.
B.C. is on track to record more than 2,000 deaths from the toxic drug crisis this year, as it reaches another grim milestone.
The BC Coroners Service says at least 171 people died from toxic drugs in September, the 24th consecutive month that the province has seen more than 150 deaths due to the toxic supply.
In a release, Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe says people in the province are “continuing to suffer the tragic effects” of a toxic drug supply as almost six people per day die.
“Both those who use drugs occasionally and those who are substance-dependent are at risk of sudden death from the unpredictable illicit market. Individuals who have been abstinent for a period of time or those who normally use stimulants are at increased risk. Their opioid tolerance is low and the prevalence of fentanyl in the illicit supply is high,” she explained.
Between January and September 2022, the BC Coroners Service says 1,644 people died from toxic drugs, “the largest number ever recorded in the first nine months of a calendar year.”
Related Articles:
-
B.C. toxic drug recommendations don’t go far enough, experts
-
B.C. committee gives recommendations to address toxic drug crisis
-
Fraser Health becomes latest to implement toxic drug warning system
Since September 2020, 4,419 people died in B.C., equating to about 184 deaths per month, or just over six deaths per day, the coroner says.
“Illicit drug toxicity is the leading cause of unnatural death in British Columbia and is second only to cancers in terms of years of life lost. At least 10,505 British Columbians have been lost to illicit drugs since the public-health emergency into substance-related harms was first declared in April 2016,” the BC Coroners Service said.
Almost 60 per cent of toxic drug deaths this year have happened in Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health, with Vancouver, Surrey, and Greater Victoria in particular reporting the most deaths.
In a statement, Sheila Malcolmson, the province’s minister of mental health and addictions, says her heart grieves for “the people lost” and their families.
“We are determined to end this tragic loss of life,” she said.
“When people make the courageous decision to come forward and get help, we want supports to meet them. We keep opening new and expanded services across the continuum of care, from treatment and recovery, to critical harm reduction and prevention measures that save lives.”
Malcolmson says separating people from the toxic drug supply is key to preventing drug poisoning deaths, and claims that since 2020, 14,000 people have had access to prescribed safer supply.
“Safer supply is saving lives,” she said. “But we know that safer supply will not solve this crisis on its own. Our government is making historic investments to build a system of mental health and addiction care from the ground up. We have opened hundreds of treatment beds and services in all regions of the province.”
The coroner’s report notes that analysis of post-mortem toxicology results “shows no indication that prescribed safe supply is contributing to illicit drug deaths regionally or provincially.”
