Northeast B.C. reports two drug overdoses in August 

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Northeast B.C. reported two drug overdose deaths in August, according to the most recent B.C. Coroners Service report.

The northeast region reported 13 illicit drug overdoses so far in 2023.

Last year, the region recorded the most drug toxicity deaths in April and October, with three deaths each month.

With 32 fatal overdoses recorded, 2020 remains the year with the most deaths in the northeast since 2012.

The report states there is no indication that prescribed safe supply contributed to illicit drug deaths.

The Northern Health region reported 11 overdose deaths in August.

The highest number of fatal overdoses reported in the north since 2012 was 183 deaths in 2022.

In August 2023, the province reported 174 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths, an 8 per cent decrease from the number of deaths in August 2022.

December 2021 (229) was the only month in the past with more overdose deaths across the province than January 2022 (216).

By Health Authority, in 2023, the highest rates were in Northern Health at 58 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Vancouver Coastal Health at 56 per 100,000.

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has had the most overdose deaths so far in 2023, reporting 477.

Compared to other causes of unnatural deaths, illicit drug overdoses have continued to be the highest in the province since about 2015, with suicide being the highest before that. The number of illicit drug overdoses dropped slightly in 2019 but went back on the rise in 2020.

“While the number of people who died last month is down slightly from the same month last year and the previous month, the impact on our families and communities remains overwhelming,” said Jennifer Whiteside, minister of mental health and addictions. 

“We see first-hand the deep pain – physical, mental and emotional – that lies behind addiction. Shame and stigma often stand in the way of people getting the help they require. We are actively working to remove these barriers and foster an environment where everyone feels included and supported.”

The number of overdoses from illicit drugs in August 2023 equals about 5.6 deaths per day across the province.

Vancouver, Surrey, and Greater Victoria have had the highest number of illicit drug overdoses by township in 2023, while the rate in B.C. is 46 deaths per 100,000.

At 31 per cent, the age group with the highest overdoses is 50 to 59, and males accounted for 81 per cent of the overdose deaths, according to the report.

The ongoing opioid crisis continues to spiral out of control after being declared a public health emergency in B.C. in 2016.