Prince George overdose numbers rise in 2021
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PRINCE GEORGE- The overdose crisis in BC continues to hit the province hard as a record-breaking amount of overdoses were reported in 2021. 35,252 overdose calls were responded to by BC Emergency Health Service, 31% more than in 2020. Paramedics responded to an average of 97 overdose calls each day in BC.
Across all five health authorities, Northern Health reported the lowest increase in overdose calls to BCEHS at 16%, which is also about half the provincial average. It meant Prince George, usually in the top-five communities for overdose calls dropped off the top-five list; it was replaced by the community of Abbotsford. 2,414 overdose calls were reported in the North in 2021.
1,305 overdose calls were made to emergency services in Prince George in 2021, up from 999 in 2020 and 626 in 2019. This comes as Vanderhoof was the scene of 15 calls this past year, and Fort St. James had 43 calls. Reported overdoses decreased in 2021 for the communities of Quesnel and Fort St. John. Paramedics attended 97 overdoses in Fort St. John in 2021, which is 22% fewer than in 2020. Meanwhile, Quesnel had 25% fewer overdose calls this past year with 157 calls attended to.
For the first time since 2016, BC didn’t have the highest rate of opioid deaths in Canada. It was announced in November that the Yukon surpassed the province with 48.4 deaths per 100,000 people.
