More than a thousand people have died from overdoses in British Columbia so far this year, new figures show.
The BC Coroners Service said toxic drugs led to the deaths of at least 1,095 people between January and June.
It’s the highest overdose death toll ever recorded over a six-month period in BC.
At the same point in 2021, 1,011 deaths had been recorded.
A large majority – 78 per cent – of the victims were men, while 73 per cent were aged between 30 and 59.
"The ever-increasing toxicity of the unregulated, illicit drug market is taking a heart-breaking toll on the lives and well-being of members of our communities across the province," said Lisa Lapointe, the chief coroner.
"Deaths due to toxic drugs in the first half of 2022 have surpassed the number of deaths experienced in the same period in 2021, putting our province, once again, on track for a record loss of life."
Overdose is the leading cause of unnatural death in the province, according to the BC Coroners Service.
Only cancer claims more lives overall.
"Tragically, in the seventh year of this public health emergency, as we are experiencing increasing numbers of deaths in July, our province has now lost more than 10,000 lives to illicit drugs since April 2016," Lapointe said.
"These were men, women and youth from all walks of life. They lived in our neighbourhoods, worked in our workplaces and played on our sports teams. Some lived ordinary lives, while others faced enormous challenges. All of them fell prey to the lethal supply of illicit drugs that is omnipresent.”
She added: "As recommended by the subject matter experts on the recent Death Review Panel, it is imperative that we urgently provide access to safer supply across our province. It's only when we drastically reduce people's reliance on the profit-driven, illicit drug trade, that we will save lives and turn the trajectory of this crisis around."
