The number of overdose deaths across the province keeps climbing and Prince George is playing its part in that sad total.
A new report from the B.C. Coroners Service shows eight drug deaths in the city between January and June this year. Last year, 13 people died in Prince George in this manner, up from 10 the year before.
Provincially, the coroner is reporting 371 illicit drug deaths, a 74.2 per cent increase over the number during the same time period in 2015.
Fentanyl was detected in 60 per cent of the deaths, early data suggests, nearly double the 31 per cent in 2015. It's an ongoing trend, up from the 25 per cent of deaths in 2014 that had fentanyl and 15 per cent in 2013.
Across the north, the first half of 2016 has produced 25 overdose deaths, a number that is closing in on last year's total of 29 dead. Fort St. John is showing high numbers, with six dead by the end of June, compared to only one for all of last year. Prince Rupert, too has more than doubled its number of dead, with five overdose deaths in 2016, compared to two in 2015.
More than half of the deaths were those aged 20 to 39 and men made up 81.1 per cent of the deaths.
