B.C. toxic drug supply kills nearly 200 people in January: coroner

The first month of 2024 saw nearly 200 people killed by the illicit toxic drug supply in B.C., the coroner says.

The agency’s latest figures show there were at least 198 suspected drug-related deaths in the province in January, equating to about 6.4 lives lost each day.

The number is down 14 per cent from January 2023, and down 10 per cent from December 2023, when there were 229 and 221 deaths, respectively.

The BC Coroners Service says about seven out of every 10 of these people in January were between 30 and 59 years old, with the majority male.

“Unregulated drug toxicity is the leading cause of death in British Columbia for people aged 10 to 59, accounting for more deaths than homicides, suicides, accidents, and natural disease combined,” the service said.

To date, at least 14,024 people in B.C. have been killed by the unregulated toxic supply since April 2016, when the province declared a public health emergency.

“Each person lost had their own story, their own hopes and dreams, and a circle of loved ones. They were neighbours, parents, siblings and friends, and their passing creates ripples of grief throughout our communities,” Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside said Thursday.

“Every province is struggling with drug-poisoning deaths and the ongoing impacts of this crisis, including Alberta and Saskatchewan, as well as the eastern United States. I understand the pain and the urgency of this crisis. It touches every corner of our province, affecting people from all walks of life. Our government is dedicated to building a system of care that offers support when and where it is needed most. We will continue our efforts to bolster mental-health and addiction services, from early intervention and prevention to treatment and supportive recovery.”

As has been the case in previous months, toxic-drug deaths were reported in all parts of the province in January. By health authority, the coroner says the highest number of unregulated drug deaths were reported in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal regions.

“Provincewide, the rate of death in January was about 42 per 100,000 residents, representing a small decrease from the record levels in 2023 but still more than two times the rate reported in B.C. when the public-health emergency was first declared in April 2016,” it added.

The BC Coroners Service adds “there is no indication that prescribed safer supply is contributing to unregulated drug deaths,” adding hydromorphone was detected in just three per cent of unregulated drug deaths in 2023.