'We won’t stop working until we end this crisis': British Columbia mourns 184 people who died in June due to toxic drugs
CTV
British Columbia is mourning another 184 people who died due to toxic drugs, as the province releases its latest monthly data on the ongoing overdose crisis.
British Columbia is mourning another 184 people who died due to toxic drugs, as the province releases its latest monthly data on the ongoing overdose crisis.
The deaths recorded in June—about 6.1 each day—brings the total number recorded so far in 2023 to more than 1,200, according to the BC Coroners Service.
It released its monthly summary Wednesday, which shows the death toll in June represents a 17 per cent increase compared to the same month last year and is two per cent higher than the fatalities recorded in May.
In a statement, chief coroner Lisa Lapointe reiterated the role of fentanyl in the crisis, and the urgent need for a safer drug supply.
"Illicit fentanyl continues to drive the crisis, which is causing deaths in large and small municipalities, towns and cities across the province. This health emergency is not confined to one neighbourhood or one demographic. Anyone accessing an illicit substance is at risk of serious harm or death," said LaPointe.
Fentanyl or one of its analogues played a factor in more than 90 per cent of illicit drug deaths recorded in June, the data shows.
The BCCS says stimulants were present in nearly three-quarters of toxicological testing last month, and nearly all unregulated drug deaths involved a mix of toxic drugs.
