Toxic drug overdoses claim 174 more lives

VICTORIA—In February 2022, 174 people across the province died of illicit drug overdoses, the Northern Health region had 13 of those deaths according to the BC Coroners Service.

Prince George saw 16 illicit drug overdoses in the first two months of 2022. That equals nearly 30 per cent of the city’s total deaths in all of 2021. The BC Coroners Service says that their preliminary data suggests that the proportion of illicit drug toxicity deaths for which illicit fentanyl was detected (alone or in combination with other drugs) was approximately 76 per cent in 2022. That is down slightly from 85 per cent last year.

A review of completed cases from 2019-21 indicates that the top four detected drugs relevant to illicit drug toxicity deaths were fentanyl (85%), cocaine (46%), methamphetamine/amphetamine (42%), and other opioids (23%).

The BC Coroners Service says that there are no indications that prescribed safe supply drugs are contributing to illicit drug overdose deaths. No deaths have been reported at supervised consumption or drug overdose prevention sites.