VICTORIA — Numbers released by the BC Coroners Service show deaths from toxic, unregulated drugs have nudged record levels across the province for the second year in a row.
The coroners service says 596 lives were lost between January and March.
It says that's the second highest total ever recorded over the first three months of a calendar year, behind only 2022 when 599 people died.
The figures also show 2,314 deaths due to toxic drugs occurred last year, making the annual toll the deadliest on record since a public health emergency was declared in 2016.
The statement from the coroners service says just under 12,000 deaths have been caused by unregulated drugs in B.C. since then.
Jennifer Whiteside, the minister of mental health and addictions, says the illicit drug supply has become more toxic, creating new dangers for those who use drugs and new challenges for people working to save lives.
She says the government is making efforts to expand supports and programs for mental health and addiction services.
"There is no one-size-fits-all model, and we are continuing to build a system that provides the right care and support at the right time and place," Whiteside says in a statement.
The provincial government set aside $1 billion in the 2023 budget to build a system of addiction and mental health supports to help curb the overdose death toll.
So far this year, the coroners service says 77 per cent of the nearly 600 victims have been men, with the majority between the ages of 30 and 59.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2023.
The Canadian Press
