07 September, 2017
That's a 30 per cent increase compared to July, 2016.
The BC Coroners Service says 91 people died due to illicit drug overdoses across the province in July, representing the third consecutive month of declining totals.
From January through July, 706 of the 867 suspected illicit drug deaths had fentanyl detected, showing a 143 per cent increase over the same period in 2016.
In numerous cases, fentanyl was combined with drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
The majority of the deaths were concentrated in Vancouver, Victoria and Surrey.
Province-wide, fentanyl, which is a deadly synthetic opioid, was detected in more than four of every five deaths through the first seven months of this year. "Although it's heartening to see a decline in deaths month-to-month since March, we continue to see far too many deaths in our communities".
Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says drug users are at high risk of overdosing when they use alone and aren't able to get help, which has been the case in most of the fatalities.
That puts the city on pace to eclipse its total of 42 deaths previous year, but only by about 10 per cent.
The BC Coroners Service says nearly three out of every four deaths involved people between the ages of 30 and 59.
No deaths were recorded at a supervised consumption site or at any drug overdose prevention sites.
