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By Veronica Beltran

coroners report

Northern Health has highest rates of deaths to illicit drugs so far in 2020, says Coroners Service

May 7, 2020 | 11:34 AM

VICTORIA—The B.C. Coroners Service published its key preliminary findings for its report on illicit drug toxicity deaths to the end of March, which found that Northern Health has the highest rate of deaths related to illicit drug toxicity.

The north’s health region is followed by Interior Health in the number of illicit drug deaths so far in 2020.

113 deaths in March of this year were suspected illicit drug deaths, a 61 per cent increase over the number of deaths in February of this year. The March 2019 average, 117 deaths, was also higher than the January and February 2019 average of 89 deaths.

According to the Coroners Service, exceeding 100 deaths to drug toxicity had not occurred since March of 2019.

The increase in March 2020 occurred in every health authority, notably in the Fraser Health Authority, which saw a 91 per cent increase and Island health with 80 per cent increase.

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To date, males accounted for 76 per cent of deaths in 2020, the same amount as in 2019 and slightly lower than 2018 which saw 80 per cent. The report also showed that 73 per cent of those dying were aged 19 to 49 in 2020, a five per cent increase from 2019.