In British Columbia more than 170 people died of illicit drug overdose in February according to the BC Coroners Service, making it the province’s 17th consecutive month with more than 150 deaths as a result of overdose..February’s toll equated to roughly 6.2 deaths per day, bringing the total number of overdose deaths in the past six years to more than 9,400..The overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency in BC in 2016..“As we approach the sixth anniversary of the declaration of the public-health emergency into substance-related harms, we are continuing to lose members of our communities at an unprecedented and terrifying rate,” said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner..“The deaths of another 174 BC residents, so many of them young and middle-aged men with years of life ahead of them, is yet another reminder that urgent action is needed on a province-wide scale.”.Overall in 2021, there was an average of 6.1 deaths per day as a result of illicit drugs in the entire province, a 26% increase from 2020..Data released Tuesday by the coroner shows while the majority of illicit drug deaths are those between 30 and 59 years of age, six people under the age of 19 died in February from illicit drugs. Fentanyl continues to be the predominant substance found in postmortem testing..The top substances involved in drug deaths from 2018 to 2021 were:.Fentanyl and analogues: 86.7%Cocaine: 48%Methamphetamine/amphetamine: 39.7%Other opioids: 29.1%Ethyl alcohol: 28%Benzodiazepines: 7.9%Other stimulants: 2.8%.Fentanyl, which is roughly 100 times stronger than morphine, can turn over a substantial profit for dealers while taking up as much space as a small envelope, thus mitigating the risk as opposed to smuggling large quantities of heroin into the country..Officials say the toxicity of fentanyl is growing, as this past February was the third consecutive month that saw more than 20% of fentanyl-positive test results showing concentrations larger than 50 micrograms per litre..Carfentanil, a particularly potent chemical often used in veterinary medicine to anesthetize large animals, such as elephants and bears, was detected in 187 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in 2021. In 2020 it was found in 66 deaths..In addition to detecting fentanyl and its analogues, officials say etizolam was detected in 41% of expedited testing results between July 2020 and February 2022. Etizolam is a benzodiazepine analogue with a highly sedating effect. Unlike opioids, it cannot be reversed by naloxone..A recovered heroin user from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside told the Western Standard when someone dies of an overdose, other users “flock to the source,” as the recent death indicates a particularly strong supply..The highest number of drug deaths in 2022 occurred in Vancouver, Surrey, and Victoria. More than 75% of those who died in 2022 were male and most fatal doses continue to occur inside private residences..“I recognize that the concept of safer supply is difficult for some to understand given the many decades of a punitive, enforcement-based approach to substance use,” Lapointe said..“However, 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.”.Even when police successfully infiltrate the upper echelons of black market hierarchies, the overall impact it has on illicit drug distribution seems to be minuscule — the result being nothing more than a violent power vacuum leading to an increase in both drug deaths and gang violence..Lapointe also calls for — in addition to “safer supply” — decriminalizing possession of drugs for personal use and building an “evidence-based system of treatment and recovery.”.Reid Small is a BC-based reporter for the Western Standard.,rsmall@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/reidsmall
In British Columbia more than 170 people died of illicit drug overdose in February according to the BC Coroners Service, making it the province’s 17th consecutive month with more than 150 deaths as a result of overdose..February’s toll equated to roughly 6.2 deaths per day, bringing the total number of overdose deaths in the past six years to more than 9,400..The overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency in BC in 2016..“As we approach the sixth anniversary of the declaration of the public-health emergency into substance-related harms, we are continuing to lose members of our communities at an unprecedented and terrifying rate,” said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner..“The deaths of another 174 BC residents, so many of them young and middle-aged men with years of life ahead of them, is yet another reminder that urgent action is needed on a province-wide scale.”.Overall in 2021, there was an average of 6.1 deaths per day as a result of illicit drugs in the entire province, a 26% increase from 2020..Data released Tuesday by the coroner shows while the majority of illicit drug deaths are those between 30 and 59 years of age, six people under the age of 19 died in February from illicit drugs. Fentanyl continues to be the predominant substance found in postmortem testing..The top substances involved in drug deaths from 2018 to 2021 were:.Fentanyl and analogues: 86.7%Cocaine: 48%Methamphetamine/amphetamine: 39.7%Other opioids: 29.1%Ethyl alcohol: 28%Benzodiazepines: 7.9%Other stimulants: 2.8%.Fentanyl, which is roughly 100 times stronger than morphine, can turn over a substantial profit for dealers while taking up as much space as a small envelope, thus mitigating the risk as opposed to smuggling large quantities of heroin into the country..Officials say the toxicity of fentanyl is growing, as this past February was the third consecutive month that saw more than 20% of fentanyl-positive test results showing concentrations larger than 50 micrograms per litre..Carfentanil, a particularly potent chemical often used in veterinary medicine to anesthetize large animals, such as elephants and bears, was detected in 187 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in 2021. In 2020 it was found in 66 deaths..In addition to detecting fentanyl and its analogues, officials say etizolam was detected in 41% of expedited testing results between July 2020 and February 2022. Etizolam is a benzodiazepine analogue with a highly sedating effect. Unlike opioids, it cannot be reversed by naloxone..A recovered heroin user from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside told the Western Standard when someone dies of an overdose, other users “flock to the source,” as the recent death indicates a particularly strong supply..The highest number of drug deaths in 2022 occurred in Vancouver, Surrey, and Victoria. More than 75% of those who died in 2022 were male and most fatal doses continue to occur inside private residences..“I recognize that the concept of safer supply is difficult for some to understand given the many decades of a punitive, enforcement-based approach to substance use,” Lapointe said..“However, 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.”.Even when police successfully infiltrate the upper echelons of black market hierarchies, the overall impact it has on illicit drug distribution seems to be minuscule — the result being nothing more than a violent power vacuum leading to an increase in both drug deaths and gang violence..Lapointe also calls for — in addition to “safer supply” — decriminalizing possession of drugs for personal use and building an “evidence-based system of treatment and recovery.”.Reid Small is a BC-based reporter for the Western Standard.,rsmall@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/reidsmall
