British Columbia’s coroner reported that 158 people died from illicit drug overdoses in September, marking a nearly 20 per cent drop compared to the same month last year, with the death rate now at its lowest since 2019.
Fentanyl or its analogs were detected in 84 per cent of those tested, according to the BC Coroners Service. The online dashboard shows a sharp decline in unregulated drug deaths since 2023, when 2,589 fatalities occurred.
This year’s death rate is down 31 per cent compared to two years ago, and September’s deaths dropped by 19 per cent from last year, mirroring a broader decline across North America. In September, 12 deaths in the Northern Health Region were linked to toxic drugs.
Vancouver and Surrey recorded the highest numbers of toxic drug deaths this year, with 314 and 137 respectively, while Greater Victoria saw 93 deaths.
From January to September, youth deaths (aged 18 or younger) rose to 20, up from 17 during the same period last year. Nearly half of this year’s deaths occurred in private homes, with 21 per cent outdoors. Males accounted for 78 per cent of deaths, with the death rate this year at 32.3 per 100,000 population, a significant drop from 46.8 in 2023, and the lowest rate since 2019, when it was 19.4 per 100,000.
The story was reported by The Canadian Press on November 3rd with files from Michael Popove