The BC Coroners Service has released its latest report on illicit drug toxicity and fentanyl-detected drug deaths to the end of April 2020, and it shows B.C. averaged 3.2 deaths per day. In total there have been 383 illicit drug deaths so far in 2020.
Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe says "we remain in a public health emergency, with more than three British Columbians dying each day from illicit drug toxicity deaths," adding that this province continues to have the highest number of such deaths of any jurisdiction in Canada, with every region impacted.
The death totals for March and April 2020 were 112 and 117 deaths respectively, marking the first time B.C. has recorded over 100 deaths in back-to-back months since November and December of 2018. This represents a 4% increase over the number of deaths in March 2020 (112) and a 39% increase over the number of deaths in April 2019 (84).
The cities experiencing the highest number of deaths are Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria. Victoria recorded 9 deaths in March and 10 in April. Men continue to be over represented in the numbers. 71% were aged 19 to 49, and males accounted for 79% of deaths in this year to date, both increases over 2019. As well 83% of deaths occured indoors, and 12% outdoors. BC Coroner's Service Spokesman Andy Watson says a promising development is the recent launch of a new app called "Lifeguard" which was develpoped to prevent overdoses in those using alone. The online app summons help if the user didn't stop an alarm after a certain period of time. Watson says it is still too soon to say if the increased numbers have anything to do with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Links:
Illicit drug overdose death report:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/birth-adoption-death-marriage-and-divorce/deaths/coroners-service/statistical/illicit-drug.pdf
Fentanyl-detected death report:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/birth-adoption-death-marriage-and-divorce/deaths/coroners-service/statistical/fentanyl-detected-overdose.pdf
Lifeguard app:
http://www.phsa.ca/about/news-stories/news-releases/2020-news/new-lifeguard-app-launched-to-help-prevent-overdoses