New information from the BC Coroners Service shows the number of illicit drug deaths in the province so far in 2016 is already more than in all of 2015 — and more than a third of them are in the health region that includes the Tri-Cities.
From Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, the number of deaths from illicit drug overdoses in B.C. was 555, compared to 508 for all of last year.
Fentanyl remains a significant contributor to the high number of deaths, with 302 cases in which the potent opioid was detected — 61% of all illicit drug deaths. That number is more than triple the number of fentanyl-detected deaths for the same period last year.
At 195, Fraser Health Authority, which includes the Tri-Cities, showed the highest number of illicit drug overdose deaths in the first nine months of 2016, or just over 35% of the provincial total. That number is fast approaching the number of deaths for all of 2015 in the region, which was 204.
The BC Coroners report lists the number of deaths by the "top townships" of injury. Vancouver recorded 110 while Surrey marked 71. The Tri-Cities were included in "other townships," in which there were 167 deaths.
The breakdown of statistics among health service delivery area shows there were 63 drug overdose deaths in Fraser North so far in 2016, compared to 73 in all of 2015. Fraser South recorded 98 to date, with 110 in Vancouver.
The monthly breakdown shows the incidences in Fraser Health are decreasing from a high of 28 deaths in January, followed by similar numbers through the spring, but those dropped to 15 in August and 16 in September, an indication that concerted efforts by various levels of government to stem the tide of overdose deaths may be working.
Some of those measures include equipping emergency rooms, health care professionals, first responders, social workers and citizens with naloxone kits.
As well, the provincial government is providing funding for equipment and supplies for the RCMP Clandestine Laboratory and Response Team, and has enhanced enforcement activities targeting illicit fentanyl traffickers.
The coroner's report detailing deaths to Aug. 31, 2016 for which fentanyl was detected shows there were 302, a 211% increase over the number of deaths during the same period in 2015, when there were 97.
On average, there were almost 38 deaths per month in which fentanyl was found to be a factor; 79% of the victims were men and 60% of those were between 19 and 39 years old.
Fraser Health recorded 100 fentanyl-detected drug overdose deaths (compared to 57 in 2015), the highest in the province. Of those, 37 were in Fraser North.
A sample review of toxicological findings for 207 fentanyl-detected illicit drug overdose deaths up to September showed there was at least one other substance involved 96% of the time. The most common was cocaine, which accounted for 46%.
Early data for 2016 shows the proportion of illicit drug overdose deaths with fentanyl detected increased to 61%, compared to 30% last year.
