Almost 600 people dead from toxic drug supply in first 3 months of 2023 in B.C.

The BC Coroners Service says almost 600 people died in the first three months of this year to the toxic, unregulated drug supply.

In preliminary findings released Tuesday morning, the coroners service says the 596 lives lost between January and March is the second highest total ever recorded in the first three months of a year, only behind 2022 when 599 people died.

“Since the emergency was first declared, more than 11,000 people have lost their lives due to the unregulated drug supply. This is a crisis of incomprehensible scale, and I extend my deepest condolences to everyone who has experienced the loss of someone they loved,” Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe said.

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At least 374 deaths believed to be caused by toxic drugs were reported to the coroners service in February and March, amounting to approximately 6.4 deaths per day.

The service says the numbers released Tuesday also reflect the total number of deaths last year has increased to 2,314, making it the deadliest year on record.

“Unregulated drug toxicity continues to be the leading cause of unnatural death in British Columbia, accounting for more deaths than homicides, suicides, motor vehicle incidents, drownings, and fire-related deaths combined,” the BC Coroners Service said.

Since the public-health emergency was declared on April 14, 2016, almost 11,807 deaths have been caused by the unregulated toxic drug supply, the service says, adding that “there continues to be no evidence that prescribed safe supply is contributing to illicit drug deaths.”

“It is clear that an urgent response to this crisis is required and overdue,” Lapointe said.

“Recommendations made by multidisciplinary experts on two Coroners Service Death Review Panels and the Province’s Select Standing Committee on Health into the crisis support the urgent implementation of a safe, regulated supply of substances for those at risk of serious harm or death, as well as provincial standards for the provision of evidence-based treatment and recovery services, along with requirements for reporting outcomes.

“There should not be a dichotomy between access to life-saving safer supply and access to life-saving treatment options. Tens of thousands of British Columbians remain at risk of dying from toxic drugs and we continue to experience the tragedy of six people dying every single day, as we have for the past two years.

“This is also not a crisis confined to certain neighbourhoods or certain towns. All areas of our province are immensely affected by this crisis, and collaboration, innovation and the rejection of old stereotypes and failed solutions are necessary to prevent future deaths.”

Almost three out of four deaths were in people aged 30 to 59, the coroners service found, with 77 per cent of those people being men.

Vancouver, Surrey, and Greater Victoria saw the most amount of toxic drug deaths, with Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health authorities making up 59 per cent of all deaths so far recorded in 2023.

The coroner service says it found two deaths have occurred at overdose prevention sites — one in 2022 and one so far in 2023.