At least 1158 BC residents have lost their lives to unregulated drug toxicity in the first half of 2024.
Preliminary data from the BC Coroners Service show there were 181 and 185 suspected unregulated drug deaths in May and June 2024, respectively.
Though the number of deaths to date this year is lower than at the same mark over the previous three years, an average of six people are still dying daily due to the unregulated toxic drugs.
"Even as the figures reflect a 9% decrease in the number of deaths reported to the coroners service during the first six months of this year from 2023, the number of lives lost is still significant." - John McNamee, acting chief coroner
Fentanyl continues to be the driver of unregulated drug-toxicity deaths, detected in 82% of expedited toxicological tests conducted so far in 2024.
Nearly half of reported deaths in May and June were people between the ages of 30 and 49.
Males account for 72% of deaths so far in 2024, the rate of deaths among females continues to rise at 28%.
7% of the lives lost so far this have been in Greater Victoria.
Notably, the rates of unregulated drug toxicity deaths (per 100,000) by health service delivery area are highest in the Northern Interior (106.6), North Vancouver Island (78.8), Vancouver (66.3) and Central Vancouver Island (62.8).