Deaths by illicit drugs in the city have tumbled to less than half of last year's total, according to the latest report from the B.C. Coroners Service.
As of the end of October, Prince George was home to 22 such fatalities compared to 48 for all of 2018. Likewise, deaths in which fentanyl was detected stood at 14, compared to 46 last year.
Northern Health medical health officer Rakel Kling said the decline reflects a province-wide trend.
The count on that measure stands at 823 drug-related deaths, well down from 1,542 last year. Fentanyl-detected deaths added up to 702, slightly more than half the 1,337 recorded last year.
For Kling, its a sign the right steps are being taken.
"It's just further reason to keep giving Naloxone and drug checking and other harm-reduction work that is going on in the community," she said.
While down, the number of deaths is still high compared to past figures. In 2009, for example there was just one drug-related death.
"We still need to work very hard on all the great work that we're doing to prevent overdoses," Kling said.
