Year-over-year overdose fatalities nearly double
Fentanyl detected in 83 per cent of the 1,103 deaths so far in 2017
The number of overdose deaths from illegal drugs has nearly doubled this year in B.C.
The B.C. Coroners Service released a new tally Thursday of the number of illicit drug overdose fatalities.
So far this year, 1,103 people have died from overdoses, up from 607 at this time in 2016. None of the fatalities happened at a safe-injection site.
B.C. Minister of Mental Health Judy Darcy called the numbers “staggering.”
The coroner says there were 80 suspected drug overdose deaths this September, a 31 per cent increase from the same month last year.
Of the total number of overdose deaths, fentanyl was detected in 83 per cent, representing an increase of 147 per cent over the same period in 2016.
The coroner said that in most cases fentanyl was combined with other drugs, most often cocaine, heroin or methamphetamines.
Carfentanil has been detected in 37 suspected illicit drug overdose deaths between June and September of 2017.
“It really is devastating, we are still seeing an average of four people dying a day in British Columbia, and this trend is worsening,” said Darcy, speaking in Victoria after the numbers were released.
She said the government will make an announcement Friday to outline its plan to respond to the crisis.
She agreed there needs to be a dialogue in Canada looking at new ways to deal with the soaring number of fatalities.
Darcy said the government is looking into whether testing street drugs for the presence of fentanyl and carfentanil is an option.
“We are working on a whole lot of issues including drug checking. We are also ramping up, as all health authorities are, our major antistigma campaign,” she said.
Authorities last year declared a public health emergency, and the B.C. government has taken some steps.
In the spring, the province opened 500 new substance-abuse treatment beds, including 131 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
But despite the efforts, fatalities continue to spike, and with each surge authorities again warn that most street drugs — everything from cocaine to ecstasy — are laced with fentanyl and/or carfentanil. The Abbotsford police put out a warning last month after five people died in less than 10 hours. All of the victims were found alone, and most were inside a residence. Vancouver Coastal Health has the highest rate of illicit drug overdose deaths, and also experienced the largest increase in fatalities at 59 per cent over last year, according to the coroner.
The coroner said nine out of every 10 deaths occurred indoors, including more than half in private residences.