New statistics show 308 B.C. residents died of illicit drug overdoses in the first four months of 2016, up 75% from the 176 deaths in the same January to May period of 2015.
And the proportion of deaths tied to the synthetic drug fentanyl has climbed further to 56% of the 2016 deaths so far, according to the B.C. Coroners Service.
By comparison, 31% of illicit drug deaths in 2015 were linked to fentanyl, used either on its own or knowingly or unknowingly in combination with other drugs.
Public health officials in B.C. declared the drug deaths a public health emergency in April after 200 drug fatalities were recorded.
B.C. is averaging 62 illicit drug deaths per month so far this year. The highest number to date was 77 in January, while there were 42 in May.
The arrival in B.C. of synthetic drug W-18, which is many times more potent than fentanyl and can cause overdose or death in much smaller doses, is a new emerging concern.
A fentanyl lab being used to make knock-off heroin was raided by police in Burnaby earlier this spring and tests have since turned up traces of W-18 that investigators suspect may have reached the street.
While fentanyl is a prescription painkiller used in hospitals, W-18 was never authorized for use by Health Canada.
It’s 100 times more powerful than fentanyl, making it more profitable for drug lab operators and much riskier for users, who often believe what they are taking is heroin or Oxycontin.
