Rise In Illegal Drug Deaths In March
VICTORIA – The B-C Coroners Service says the number of suspected drug overdose deaths in the province was up 58 percent in March over the previous month.
It says the 161 deaths was the second-highest total since the record 162 recorded in December 2016.
That brings the total number of deaths through the first three months of this year to 391, compared with the 400 reported during the first quarter of last year.
Preliminary data indicate fentanyl was detected in more than eight in every 10 of the deaths.