Coroner to feds: Take action on B.C. overdose epidemic like with pandemic

published on June 11, 2020 by Camille Bains in National Post

VANCOUVER — British Columbia has recorded the highest number of illicit drug overdose deaths in a single month, prompting the chief coroner to say the federal government should take bold action on the overdose epidemic as it has done with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You can’t help but draw the parallel that far more lives have been lost to substance use than to the pandemic,” Lisa Lapointe said in an interview on Thursday.

There have been nearly 4,500 overdose deaths in B.C. since the province declared a public health emergency.

Health Canada could not immediately provide a response.

The coroners service said 170 people died of illicit drug overdoses in May, compared with 76 deaths in February…