
Toxic drugs deaths: monthly increase in Interior Health
Preliminary data from the BC Coroners Service shows 152 people died in this province in January due to unregulated drug toxicity.
Half those deaths were people aged 40 to 59.
While January marked the fourth consecutive month in which the number of deaths reported was below 160, certain areas of the province saw an increase.
That includes Interior Health with 21 and Fraser Health with 57. Twenty-one people died across IH in January, which is up from the 14 fatalities the previous month although still lower than the average monthly trend in the region in years previous.