BC Sees Shocking 9% Drop in Drug Deaths This Year, But What’s Behind the Change
The BC Coroners Service reports a significant decline in drug overdose deaths, with 155 fatalities in October, but the reasons remain unclear.
Health
Victoria, British Columbia, Drug Deaths, Overdose, BC Coroners Service, Public Health
Victoria: British Columbia is experiencing a notable drop in drug overdose deaths. The BC Coroners Service announced that October saw the lowest monthly count in over four years.
So far this year, 1,925 people have died from overdoses, which is a 9% decrease compared to the same period last year. In October alone, 155 people lost their lives, down from 183 in September.
Interestingly, the service hasn’t pinpointed why these numbers are falling. They mentioned that this trend aligns with reports from other areas, and officials are digging into the reasons behind it.
Even with this positive news, unregulated toxic drugs are still the top cause of unnatural deaths in B.C. for those aged 10 to 59. They outnumber homicides, suicides, accidents, and natural diseases combined.
In October, 22% of the deaths were women, and the rate of death among women and girls has more than doubled in the last five years. However, there were no reported deaths from unregulated drugs for anyone under 19 in October.
Health Minister Josie Osborne expressed her condolences to the families of those who died. She emphasized that the toxic drug supply is a serious public health threat affecting everyone. While the decline in deaths is encouraging, she noted that there’s still a lot of work to do.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on December 9, 2024.