B.C. drug deaths fall to lowest since 2020, but toll remains high with 2,253 lives lost

Last twelvemonth saw British Columbia grounds the fewest deaths owed to toxic drugs since 2020, according to caller information from the B.C. Coroners Service.

But the decease toll remains high, with 2,253 lives mislaid past year.

The coroners work said the fig of deaths was a 13-per cent driblet implicit 2023, but it remains good supra the 1,776 fatalities reported successful 2020.

“The accusation collected by our coroners during their investigations into unregulated cause toxicity deaths, indicates a diminution successful fatalities implicit the past respective months of 2024. This is accordant with reporting from different jurisdictions successful Canada and internationally,” main coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan, main coroner said successful a media release.

“This doesn’t mitigate the information that 2,253 members of our communities died successful 2024, leaving down grieving loved ones, friends, colleagues and teammates. Our thoughts are with each of those many, galore radical who person been touched by this crisis.”

The bulk of the deaths were among men (75 per cent) and radical aged 30 to 59 years aged (70 per cent).

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The coroners work said fentanyl and its analogues stay the main operator of cause deaths, and were detected successful 78 per cent of samples. Cocaine (52 per cent), fluorofentanyl (46 per cent) methamphetamine (43 per cent) and bromazolam (41 per cent) were the adjacent astir common.

The communities with the highest per-capita decease complaint were Vancouver centre-north, Lillooet, Campbell River, Terrace and Prince George.

More than 16,000 radical person died owed to toxic drugs since the state declared a nationalist wellness exigency successful 2016.