Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson said today the deaths were an “insidious impact of the pandemic,” wiping out progress made in 2019.
But advocates and experts say the province’s small, slow steps to address the crisis, even after the potential impacts of the pandemic on overdose deaths became clear, are a slap in the face to the families and friends of the 6,733 people who have died since 2016.
“We have had years to get ahead of this,” said peer advisor Guy Felicella of the BC Centre on Substance Use. “COVID showed how fragile what we had in place already really was.”
Illicit drug overdoses reach all-time high in B.C.
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New statistics show just how much of a toll the illicit drug epidemic is taking on our province.
2020 was the deadliest year in B.C. history in terms of lives lost from toxic illicit drugs.
As the five-year anniversary of the province’s illicit drug toxicity public health emergency approaches, the province reported 1,716 overdose deaths last year.
That marks a 74 percent increase from 2019 (984).
The number of illicit drug toxicity deaths in 2020 equates to about 4.7 deaths per day.
That’s two deaths per day higher than in 2019 (2.7).
Where’s the plan?
That was the dominant question asked Thursday as B.C.’s chief coroner Lisa Lapointe announced 1,716 people died from toxic street drugs in 2020, marking the worst year on record for the province.
The toxic illicit drug supply has claimed more lives than motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides and prescription drug-related deaths combined in B.C., Lapointe said at a press conference.
Nearly 7,000 people have died since the province declared the drug overdose crisis a public emergency five years ago this April, she added.
“While many may think that deaths due to illicit drugs are confined to small areas or populations in our province, in fact, people are dying in communities across B.C., from all walks of life, and leaving behind broken-hearted family, friends and colleagues,” she said.
TORONTO British Columbia’s overdose crisis claimed more lives last year than homicides, suicides and car crashes combined, according to the province’s Coroners Service. In total, 1,716 people died due to illicit drugs, a 74-per-cent increase in deaths since 2019. The number represents around 4.7 deaths per day. And all of those deaths were investigated by a dedicated team of coroners. Kimberly Isbister is one of six who make up the province s Drug Death Investigation Team. “Every day is definitely very busy,” Isbister told CTV News. “Because every day we’re dealing with a new set of grieving families, loved ones, friends.”