Illicit drug overdose deaths remain high in B.C., but Prince George has one of the lowest rates in 2019 thus far.
According to updated numbers released by the B.C. Coroners Service today (July 11), the city has seen nine deaths.
In all of 2018, there were 48 deaths recorded here in Prince George.
In May of this year alone, British Columbia recorded 84 illicit drug overdose deaths, which is down 28 per cent from 2018 (116 deaths).
The 84 deaths this year work out to 2.7 deaths per day.
For 2019, the province, to date, has recorded 462 deaths.
In all of 2018, the total was 1,535.
As for health authorities, Northern Health has seen 25 deaths so far this year.
There have been 383 deaths so far this year where fentanyl was detected; last year, there was 1,334 in total.
The northern interior region has recorded 11 to-date after a total of 59 seen last year.
All of the numbers released can change as more investigations are completed.
Numbers for major cities in 2019 to date are as follows:
- Vancouver - 127
- Surrey - 57
- Victoria - 23
- Abbotsford - 22
- Kamloops - 18
- Burnaby - 16
- Kelowna - 15
- Chilliwack - 11
- New Westminster - 10
- Maple Ridge - 9
- Langley - 9
- Prince George - 9
- Coquitlam - 9
- Vernon - 9
- Penticton - 8
