The BC Coroners Service has released two updated reports on illicit drug overdose deaths and fentanyl-detected deaths to the end of January 2019.
There were 90 suspected drug overdose deaths in January of this year, a 31% decrease over the number of deaths occurring in January 2018 (130) and a 22% decrease over the number of deaths occurring in December 2018 (116).
In January 2019, carfentanil was detected in 13 overdose deaths. By comparison, carfentanil was detected in 35 suspected illicit drug overdose deaths in 2018.
Fentanyl or its analogues were detected in about 87% of illicit drug overdose deaths in 2018 and 82% of illicit drug overdose deaths in 2017.
Also of note, there were no deaths at supervised consumption or drug overdose prevention sites.
Learn More:
Illicit drug overdose death report
Fentanyl-detected death report