The BC Coroners Service has published monthly illicit drug overdose death data for January 2023, which shows seven deaths in Prince George
The data is now published through an online dashboard, which will be updated monthly.
It shows there were 13 deaths in the Northern Health region, which included nine deaths in the Northern Interior and four in the Northwest.
Throughout B.C., 211 people died in January, bringing the number of deaths to at least 11,195 since the public-health emergency was declared in 2016.
The death rate in January was 47 people per 100,000, more than double the 20.5 death rate that prompted B.C.'s medical health officer to declare the emergency almost seven years ago.
An average of 6.8 lives are lost every day, and 80 per cent of those who died were male.
BC Coroners Service says that while the largest number of deaths continues to be reported in the major urban areas of Vancouver, Surrey and Greater Victoria, the health service delivery areas with the highest rates of death in January were Vancouver, North Vancouver Island, Northern Interior, Central Vancouver Island and Northwest.
By local health area, in 2022, the highest rates of death were in Vancouver-Centre North, Terrace, Merritt, Hope and Prince George.
Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says in a statement that toxic drugs are an ever-present danger to anyone who uses illicit drugs.
She says recent announcements by the province about increasing treatment and recovery options are encouraging and necessary to address the tragic loss of life.
-with files from the Canadian Press
