(File photo/Dreamstime)

By Pete McIntyre

Monthly update

Illicit drug supply claims 176 lives in B.C.

Jun 1, 2021 | 12:15 PM

The latest update shows 176 British Columbians died from toxic drug overdoses last month, a record for the month of April.

It raises the total number of deaths recorded in 2021 to 680.

The B.C. Coroner’s Service said Vernon has had nine deaths this year, with three in Enderby, 0 in Armstrong-Spallumcheen and 22 in the Central Okanagan (18 in Kelowna).

The service said B.C.’s drug supply continues to get more toxic.

“Fentanyl has been detected in 86 per cent of deaths this year, while carfentanil, a more potent analogue of fentanyl, has been found in 62 samples in 2021, almost as many as were detected in all of 2020 (65),” the monthly report stated.

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The report also notes a continued increase in the presence of benzodiazapenes, which were detected in 57 per cent of samples in April, almost four times the amount reported in July 2020 (15 per cent).

Additional key preliminary findings are below:

* The number of illicit drug toxicity deaths in April 2021 was about 5.9 deaths per day.

* Males accounted for 79% of deaths in 2021.

* In 2021, 70% of those dying were aged 30 to 59.

* The proportion of deaths of those 50 years of age and older has steadily increased over the past six years. In 2021, 39% of deaths have been 50 years or over.

* No deaths have been reported at supervised consumption or drug overdose prevention sites.

Click here to read the full report.