Half a dozen drug fatalities recorded in Northern Health in June

Over five people per day on average died from illicit drug toxicity in BC during the month of June.

According to the BC Coroners Service, Northern Health recorded six fatalities during the month.

So far in 2021, 65 people have lost their lives to illicit drugs within our health region, with 24 of those taking place in Prince George.

“Drug toxicity is now the leading cause of death in this province for those aged 19 to 39 with an average age of death of 44 years. In terms of total potential years of lives lost, drug toxicity comes second only to malignant cancers,” said Lisa Lapointe, Chief Coroner.

Province-wide, at least 159 lives were lost in June due to toxic illicit drugs – the second deadliest June on record after 185 deaths were tallied in 2020.

There have been 1,011 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths between January and June of this year.

This is the highest number of deaths ever recorded during the first six months of a calendar year and represents a 34% spike from the same time in 2020 (757).

In 2021, 40% of deaths were from people who are 50 years of age and up.

The illicit drug toxicity death rate for the 50-59 age category is far and away the highest in BC at 75 per 100,000 residents – 11 points ahead of those who are between the ages of 40 and 49 (64.5).

The Coroners Service also confirmed this is the 16th consecutive month in which over 100 British Columbians have passed away from illicit drugs.

Northern Health has the second-highest drug toxicity rate out of all the health authorities in BC at 44.9 per 100,000 residents – just over a point behind Vancouver Coastal at 46.2.

In terms of the Health Service Delivery Area, the Northern Interior, which encompasses PG-Quesnel-Burns Lake and the Robson Valley has the sixth-highest drug toxicity death rate at 44.7.

Vancouver is a whopping 24 points ahead with a rate of 68.2.

Lapointe noted that no one area of the province is exempt from this crisis.

“Virtually, the entire province is experiencing a per capita death rate of 30 or more. This public health emergency is just as real in some towns and communities as in urban centres.”

Since a public health emergency was declared in 2016, 7,760 British Columbians have died from illicit drugs.

“Each one of these people mattered. Each one of these people is really missed and each one of these deaths was preventable,” added Lapointe.

The detection rate of benzodiazepines has rapidly increased from 15% of samples in July of 2020 to 60% of samples as of May of this year.

Men have accounted for 80% of deaths in 2021.