Two people in New Westminster died of suspected toxic drug deaths in the first two months of 2024, according to a BC Coroners Service report.
On April 5, the coroners service released preliminary data showing that at least 177 people in British Columbia lost their lives to toxic, unregulated drugs in February.
“The total number of lives lost reflects an 11 per cent decrease from the number investigated by the coroners service in February 2023, and a 12 per cent decrease from the number reported in January 2024,” said the report. “However, February is also the 20th consecutive month in which there have been at least 175 deaths suspected to be caused by the toxic-drug supply reported by the agency.”
According to the coroners service’s report, an average of 6.1 lives were lost per day in B.C. in February 2024.
The latest report showed there had been two deaths in New Westminster in the first two months of 2024. That’s up one from January’s report.
The data is considered preliminary; it’s subject to change as additional toxicology results are received.
“Rates of death throughout the province remain significantly elevated,” said the report. “The provincewide rate of death for the first two months of 2024 is 40.1 per 100,000 residents, which is below the record numbers reported in 2023 but still nearly twice the rate recorded in 2016, the year the public-health emergency was first declared.”
Of note, said the report, is the fact that the Northern and Island health authorities recorded record-high rates of death in the first two months of 2024.
“As has been the case throughout the toxic-drug crisis, fentanyl and/or one of its analogues has been identified in about eight out of every 10 test results in 2024, often in combination with cocaine, methamphetamine and/or other substances,” said the report. “Nearly every unregulated drug death is the result of mixed drug toxicity.”
According to the coroners service, unregulated drug toxicity is the leading cause of death in British Columbia for persons aged 10 to 59, accounting for more deaths than homicides, suicides, accidents and natural disease combined.
At least 14,208 British Columbians have been lost their lives to unregulated drugs since the public-health emergency was first declared in April 2016.
In 2023, 38 unregulated drug deaths occurred in New Westminster, an increase from 32 deaths reported a year earlier.
