Toxic drugs kill 192 more British Columbians in July, B.C. Coroners Service says

CHILLIWACK — The illicit drug supply in British Columbia continues to devastate communities throughout the province, with at least 192 lives lost to toxic substances in July, according to preliminary reporting released by the BC Coroners Service.

“As they have for the past seven years, these numbers reflect the ever-present threat that illicit drugs pose to substance users across B.C.,” said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner. “The unregulated drug market continues to be volatile and toxic, and anyone using drugs purchased from illicit suppliers is at high risk for serious harm or death. We continue to urge those using illicit drugs to access drug-checking services, where available, or visit overdose-prevention sites, where available.”

The 192 lives lost in July represent a 31 per cent increase over the number of deaths recorded in June 2022 (147), and equates to approximately 6.2 deaths per day. Nearly 1,300 deaths due to toxic drugs have been reported to the BC Coroners Service between January and July, which is a record number for the first seven months of a calendar year.

The largest numbers of illicit drug toxicity deaths in 2022 have been recorded in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal Health Authorities (404 and 360 deaths, respectively), with these two health authorities accounting for 59 per cent of all such deaths during 2022. The highest rates of death in 2022 continue to be reported in Northern Health (53 deaths per 100,000 individuals) and Vancouver Coastal Health (49 per 100,000). Overall, the rate of death in B.C. in 2022 is 42 per 100,000 individuals, more than twice the death rate in 2016 when the public-health emergency was declared.