The numbers of those dying as as result of illicit drug use in British Columbia keeps on climbing.
There were 80 suspected drug overdose deaths in BC in September and so far this year, 1103 people have died as a result of illicit drug use.
The BC Coroners Service says 175 people have died using illicit drugs in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority region in 2017. That region has the highest rate of drug overdose deaths.
Numbers show that around 83 percent of suspected illicit drug deaths had fentanyl detected. That’s an increase of 147% over the same period last year.
In most cases, Fentanyl was combined with other drugs like cocaine, heroin or meth.
Just over 88 percent of those who died using illicit drugs did so in a private home or other inside location, while just over 11 percent of the deaths happened outside in vehicles, sidewalks, streets, or parks.
