Drug death toll reaches new peak in B.C. with 555 deaths in nine months
VANCOUVER — More people in British Columbia have died in the first nine months of this year from illicit drug overdoses compared with all of last year and despite the declaration of a public health emergency.
The Public Safety Ministry, citing the latest numbers from the B.C. Coroners Service, said Thursday there have been 555 illicit drug deaths from January to the end of September this year, compared with 508 deaths for 2015.
Fentanyl remains the major contributor to the high number of deaths, with the powerful opioid detected in more than 60 per cent of the deaths. The coroners service said fentanyl was detected in 30 per cent of illicit drug deaths last year.
Males accounted for 80 per cent of this year’s drug deaths. The coroners service numbers also indicate males and females between the ages of 19 and 39 years account for the highest percentage of deaths.