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4mo ago

B.C. Sees Lowest Monthly Drug Deaths in Four Years, Cause of Decline Unclear

October recorded 155 drug-related deaths, a significant drop, but toxic drugs remain a leading cause of unnatural deaths in the province.

MOMS STOP THE HARM
]A woman, whose 2021 death while picking blueberries on a farm east of Vancouver was initially attributed to a bear, was in fact killed by dogs according to a new BC coroner's report. British Columbia's provincial flag flies on a flag pole in Ottawa, Friday July 3, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
DTES TREES
A paramedic tends to an overdose patient in the St. Paul’s Hospital ambulance bay

Overview

  • The B.C. Coroners Service reported 155 suspected drug deaths in October, the lowest monthly total since 2020.
  • Drug-related deaths in 2024 have decreased by 9% compared to the same period in 2023, with 1,925 fatalities reported so far this year.
  • Officials have not identified the reasons for the decline, though it aligns with trends observed in other jurisdictions.
  • Unregulated toxic drugs remain the leading cause of unnatural deaths for individuals aged 10 to 59 in B.C., surpassing homicides, suicides, and accidents combined.
  • Health advocates caution that the drug supply remains highly dangerous, urging continued use of harm reduction measures like naloxone and drug testing.