The BC Coroners Service says 177 individuals passed away in February as a result of “toxic, unregulated drugs.”
The organization reports that at least 175 individuals have died due to the toxic drug supply in each of the past 20 months.
They note that the most recent figures show an 11 percent decrease compared to February 2023, but the province still experienced an average of approximately six deaths per day last February.
A statement from the Public Safety Ministry indicates that the overdose death rate in B.C. is still “significantly elevated,” with 40.1 deaths per 100,000 residents in the first two months of this year.
The statement reveals that this rate is twice as high as the one recorded in 2016, when the province declared a public health emergency due to toxic drug deaths. Since then, over 14,200 fatalities have occurred.
The ministry notes that approximately 80 percent of overdose deaths involved fentanyl or other potent opioids, in addition to other substances such as cocaine and methamphetamine. The majority of deaths are the result of “mixed drug toxicity.”
