The latest numbers show illicit drug deaths in B.C. continue to be a serious concern. The Coroner's Service says the number of overdose deaths are up 88% compared to the same period last year.
Provisional data shows 111 suspected overdose deaths in June -- that's an average of 3.7 every day -- and a 61% increase from June 2016. That brings the number of deaths for the year so far to 780 -- up from 414 at this same time last year.
Almost three quarters of all illicit drug deaths involved people between 30 and 59 years of age, and 4 out of 5 were male.
Again the vast majority, 9 out of 10 deaths, occurred inside, with more than half in private residences (57.4%). No deaths occurred at any supervised consumption site (InSite or the Dr. Peter Centre) or at any of the drug overdose prevention sites.
Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe notes while the numbers for June are the lowest for any month so far this year there's still a significant increase in overdose deaths compared to last year, and people continue to lose loved ones at a tragic rate.
Lapointe emphasizes the drug supply is unsafe, that that anyone using illicit drugs puts themselves at high risk for overdose. She is reminding users not to use alone.
In B.C. the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health Authority have the highest number of drug deaths at 258 and 249 respectively -- accounting for 65% of all such deaths in the province.
The BC Coroners Service also released updated data on fentanyl-detected deaths from January to May 2017, with 78% (525 of 669) of the illicit drug deaths reported during that period having fentanyl detected, more than double the number of those deaths occurring during the same period in 2016.
Signs of an overdose in someone who has used drugs is heavy snoring and inability to be awakened.