The latest numbers are in and they’re alarming.
An estimated 174 British Columbians lost their lives in February of this year due to toxic illicit drugs, with 15 of those deaths recorded in Victoria, according to the BC Coroners Service.
That’s 15 local families who lost a loved one amid the ongoing toxic drug crisis, pushing the province’s death toll to 9,410 since January 2016.
As we approach the sixth anniversary of the public-health emergency declaration into substance-related harms, Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe says BC continues to lose lives at a terrifying rate.
It’s prompting a push for more to be done.
“Unless we act quickly to provide a safe, regulated source of the drugs people are using in every community across our province, people we love will continue to be vulnerable to the profit-driven, chaotic illicit drug market,” said Lapointe.
She says safer supply, decriminalizing possession of drugs for personal use, reducing stigma, and building an evidence-based treatment and recovery system are critical in reducing fatalities.
Mental Health and Addictions Minister Sheila Malcolmson echoed Lapointe, saying Tuesday, “We know there is more to do, and we won’t stop working until we turn this crisis around.”
SEE ALSO: Toxic drug crisis: A record-breaking 2,224 lives lost in BC in 2021
The latest data points to February as the 17th consecutive month in which more than 150 lives were lost to illicit drugs in BC, with the 174 deaths equating to over six deaths per day.
Fentanyl also continues to be the predominant substance found in post-mortem testing, the Coroners Service found in its data.
And while every health authority in BC endured illicit drug toxicity deaths in February, it says the cities with the highest number of fatalities were Victoria, Vancouver and Surrey.
So far in 2022, 78% of recorded toxic drug deaths have been male, many young and middle-aged with years of life ahead of them, said Lapointe.
“I extend my deepest sympathy to the many families, friends and communities who are grieving the loss of a loved one,” she added.
