B.C. sees slight drop in toxic drug deaths, but is it a trend?
published on October 24, 2024 by Karin Larsen in CBC News
A shocking number of people continue to die from toxic drugs in British Columbia, although the latest figures from the B.C. Coroners Service suggest the yearly rate may be slowing.
Unregulated drug deaths are down eight per cent through the first nine months of 2024, compared to the same time period last year. In raw numbers, that’s 1,749 fatalities this year and 1,896 in 2023.
Vancouver Overdose Prevention Society executive director Sarah Blyth said she has seen a difference in the Downtown Eastside Vancouver community where their OPS operates.
“You don’t want to jinx yourself, but last year we saw a lot more overdose deaths [of people] that we knew in our community than we’re seeing this year so far,” she said.
Blyth said she thinks the lower number of deaths this year could indicate that measures to address the toxic drug crisis are finally paying off…
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