Overdose deaths skyrocket in BC

The BC Coroners Service reports another 175 people died of overdoses in July from the use of illegal street drugs.

Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says many of the drugs contain extreme amounts of the opioid fentanyl.

“The number of people dying in B.C. due to an unsafe drug supply continues to surpass deaths due to homicides, motor vehicle incidents, suicides and COVID-19 combined,” says Lapointe. “This health emergency continues to take a tragic toll on people from all walks of life and in all communities of the province.

“Access to key harm reduction services in the midst of a dual health emergency has been a challenge, and the extreme concentration of the illicit fentanyl being trafficked is resulting in deaths within moments of use.”

This is the third consecutive month with more than 170 suspected illicit drug deaths reported to the BC Coroners Service.

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July’s death toll represents a 136 per cent increase over the 74 deaths during the same month last year.

Both Lapointe and B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry have urged users not to use alone so that someone can counter the effects of an OD by injecting naloxone.

“What the latest numbers show us is that the overdose crisis has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented tragedy of death and loss to families in our province continues,” says Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer. “The toxicity of drug supply is extreme, and I implore anyone who may be using drugs to not do it alone.

“For friends and family members who are concerned about loved ones, reach out and connect with them and let them know they are not alone.”

Jon Deakin, a paramedic practice leader with BC Emergency Health Services, says paramedics responded to over 2,700 overdose calls in July alone.

There have been 909 illicit drug deaths to date in 2020 in B.C., and the number of deaths in each health authority is at or near the highest monthly totals ever recorded.