Prince George has seen a record number of illicit drug overdose deaths this year, with two months still remaining.
Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, a total of 60 people in the city had died of illicit drug toxicity, according a report released today by the BC Coroners Service. That surpasses the 59 deaths reported in the city during all of 2020, making 2022 the deadliest year for overdoses on record.
Four additional drug toxicity deaths were reported in the city in October.
"Despite the efforts of many, this public-health emergency continues to devastate families thoughout our province," chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said in a statement released on Wednesday. "The increased toxicity and variability of the illicit drug supply has created an environment where everyone who uses substances is at risk. This vulnerability is even greater for individuals who live outside the urban centres where the limited number of safer supply programs are currently focused."
As of Oct. 31, a total of 1,827 British Columbians had lost their lives to illicit drug overdoses this year, including 179 in October.
“Prince George and Nanaimo have already recorded more illicit drug-related deaths in 2022 than in any previous year, and both the Island and Northern health authorities are currently trending toward record losses of life for the year,” a statement issued by the BC Coroners Service said.
A total of 143 illicit drug deaths have been reported in the Northern Health region from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31 this year. Of those, 78 were in the Northern Interior health service delivery area (which includes Prince George), 44 were in the Northwest and 21 were in the Northeast.
As of October, Northern Health has the highest rate of illicit drug deaths (56.1 deaths per 100,000 population) among health authorities in the province. Northern Health has had the highest rate of illicit drug overdose deaths in B.C. since 2020.
So far this year, Vancouver Coastal Health was second highest at 48.6 deaths per 100,000 population, followed by Interior Health at 45.3 deaths per 100,000 population, Island Health at 42.7 deaths per 100,000 population and Fraser Health at 33 deaths per 100,000. The B.C. average for 2022 is 41.7 deaths per 100,000 population.
Illicit drug toxicity is the leading cause of unnatural death in the province, ahead of vehicle crashes, suicide and homicide, and is second only to cancer in terms of years of life lost, the BC Coroners Service reported.
So far this year in B.C., 70 per cent of those who died from illicit drug overdoses were between the age of 30 and 59, and 78 per cent were male. In the Northern Health region, 61 per cent of overdose deaths happened inside private residences and 20.6 per cent happened in other types of residences, including shelters, hotels, etc.
“Preliminary data suggests that the proportion of illicit drug toxicity deaths for which illicit fentanyl was detected (alone or in combination with other drugs) was approximately 82 (per cent) in 2022 and 86 (per cent) in 2021,” the BC Coroners Service reported. “Among the drug types involved in completed illicit drug toxicity death investigations, illicit fentanyl has increased from (five per cent) in 2012 to 87 (per cent) in 2021. Methamphetamine has also increased from 14 (per cent) in 2012 to 41 (per cent) in 2021.”
