The latest numbers of illicit drug toxicity deaths show the opioid crisis remains active in the north and throughout the province.
The BC Coroners Service has published an updated report on illicit drug toxicity deaths to the end of March 2020, explaining there were 113 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths.
Exceeding 100 deaths in a month has not occurred since March 2019.
By authority, Northern Health has the highest rate of illicit drug toxicity deaths for 2020 thus far.
The north has 29 deaths per 100,000 individuals followed by the interior at 23 deaths per 100,000 individuals this year.
In March 2020, there were nine deaths in the Northern Health region, compared to four deaths in February, and nine in January.
So far, Prince George, specifically, has recorded seven of illicit drug toxicity deaths in 2020.
In 2019, there were 25 illicit drug toxicity deaths in Prince George and 2018 saw 49 deaths, which was the highest number recorded in the city during a single year
Overall, the rate in B.C. was 20 deaths per 100,000 individuals in 2020..
It also found that there was a 61 per cent increase over the number of B.C. deaths in February 2020. Compared to the January and February 2020 average, the increase in March occurred in every health authority.
Illicit drugs include street drugs like heroin, cocaine, MDMA, methamphetamine, and illicit fentanyl as well as non-prescribed medications sold on the street.
The number of illicit drug toxicity deaths in March 2020 equates to about 3.6 deaths per day for the year.
