The BC Coroners Service says there were 128 suspected drug overdose deaths in November 2018. Photo courtesy CBC.
The BC Coroners Service says there were 120 suspected drug overdose deaths in the province last month, a 13 per cent increase over the number of overdose deaths in the same month last year.
According to the coroner’s service, an average of four people died every day last month from an illicit drug overdose.
The latest numbers show 1,380 people have died by overdose between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, 2018, almost the same number of overdose deaths between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, 2017.
In 2018, 71 per cent of the deaths were between 30 and 59 years old. Men accounted for 80 per cent of all suspected illicit drug overdose deaths over the same period. Most overdose deaths occurred inside and there were no deaths at a supervised consumption or drug overdose prevention site.
The three cities with the highest number of illicit drug overdose deaths were Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria.
At the end of last year, 1,486 had died from an illicit drug overdose. The total for 2018 is expected to be released next month.
CHEK News
