B.C. sets new record with 1,455 drug deaths in 1st 7 months of 2023

Another 198 British Columbians died from toxic drugs in July, according to data released Tuesday by the B.C. Coroners Service, bringing the death toll in the first seven months of the year to 1,455.

The coroners service said the 1,455 deaths from January to July are the most ever reported in the first seven months of the year since a public health emergency over drug poisoning deaths in the province was declared in 2016.

"They are our friends and our neighbours, and it's just so tragic that we're losing so many important people that are important to us," Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe told Gloria Macarenko, the host of CBC's On The Coast.

It puts the province on pace to potentially exceed the 2,383 deaths recorded last year. A total of 12,739 people in the province have died from drug overdoses in those seven years.

"The critical risks and losses of life resulting from this public health emergency deserve an urgent response," said Lapointe. "We must not accept the continued loss of six lives each and every day."

The 198 suspected unregulated drug deaths in July 2023 represent a five per cent decrease from the number of deaths from July last year, when there were 208. However, it's a four per cent increase from last month when there were 191 drug-related deaths.

The highest number of deaths occurred in urban centres like Vancouver, Surrey and Greater Victoria, while other areas such as Central Vancouver Island, the northern Interior, the northwest and Greater Nanaimo continue to see a high proportional number of deaths.

Unregulated drug toxicity is the leading cause of death in British Columbia for persons aged 10 to 59, accounting for more deaths than homicides, suicides, accidents and natural diseases combined, according to the B.C. Coroner's Service.

Lapointe and other advocates continue to demand the province urgently expand access to a safe drug supply.

Thursday is International Overdose Awareness Day, which is the world's largest annual campaign to end overdoses, remove stigma from people who have died from unregulated drug poisonings, and acknowledge the grief of victims' families and friends.