At least 192 British Columbians lost their lives to toxic drugs in July 2024 – including 17 in New Westminster.
On Aug. 30 – the day before International Overdose Awareness Day – the BC Coroners Service provided the latest statistics about unregulated drug toxicity death in B.C. Preliminary data shows that at least 192 people died in July 2024, bringing the total of lives lost to drug toxicity to 1,365 in B.C. between January 2024 and July 2024.
"Unregulated toxic drugs continue to cause more loss of life in British Columbia than homicides, motor vehicle incidents, suicides and natural disease combined, tragically equating to about 6.2 people losing their lives each day," chief coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan said in a news release. "The unregulated drug market is volatile and continues to put people's lives at grave risk each month."
(You can read about today’s International Overdose Awareness Day event in New West and a Q&A with one of its organizers in this Record article.)
According to the coroners service, the data from July 2024 represents a 15 per cent decrease from the 226 deaths reported in July 2023. It noted that the annualized rate of death in 2024 is 41 per 100,000 residents, which is less than the annual rates from 2021 (43.9), 2022 (44.5) and 2023 (46.6).
Despite the decrease, the coroners service stressed that people who use drugs in communities across B.C. face risk of significant injury or death.
"Tomorrow, we mark International Overdose Awareness Day. To the loved ones of the approximate 15,140 British Columbians who have lost their lives to drug toxicity since this public-health emergency was declared in 2016, I extend my deepest condolences," Baidwan said. "These losses impact people far beyond our province, and we must not forget these are sons and daughters, parents and grandparents, co-workers and teammates."
The lates report from the coroners service stated that fentanyl was detected in nearly nine out of every 10 unregulated drug deaths in July 2024 that have undergone expedited toxicological testing. Smoking is the primary mode of consumption of substances (64 per cent) among unregulated drug deaths.
The coroners service report showed that 38 people in New Westminster died of unregulated drug deaths in 2023.
📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in New Westminster? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected].
📲 Want to stay updated on New West news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
💬 Words missing in an article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
