Overdose deaths decrease in B.C. but officials say safer drug supply needed
Credit to Author: Denise Ryan| Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2020 21:13:56 +0000
Numbers released today by the B.C. Coroners Service show suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in 2019, down 36% from 2018, but reported overdoses are up by 2%.
According to the report from the B.C. Coroners Service, there were 981 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in 2019, nearly three per day throughout the province and the number will likely increase as investigations conclude.
B.C.’s chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said at a press conference today, “This is a public health emergency and while we saw a reduction in the number from 1543 who died in 2018 from drug toxicity, the number is virtually identical to the number we saw in 2016 the year a public health emergency was declared.”
Lapointe said harm reduction measures have made a difference, and thousands of drug toxicity overdoses have been reversed as a result of the widespread availability of naloxone, overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer said more needs to be done to help. “Deaths are down but this remains a crisis. The stigma associated with being labelled a criminal if you are taking drugs or are in possession of small amounts of drugs for your own use is one of the major barriers that keep people from seeking help.”
Henry said, “The toxicity of the street drug supply that is leading to these deaths and sometimes long term health effects so having pharmaceutical options for those people that are dependent is something we need to continue to promote.”
dryan@postmedia.com