Opioid deaths in B.C. far outpaced those from COVID-19

published on October 22, 2021 by Nathan Griffiths in Vancouver Sun

The overdose crisis has killed 1,200 more British Columbians than COVID-19 has in the past two years and replacing toxic street drugs with a regulated legal supply is the “single most important thing we can do,” according to the chief medical health officer at Vancouver Coastal Health.

In a presentation to Vancouver city council on Thursday morning, Dr. Patrica Daly, said the overdose crisis killed 3,000 people in B.C. between January of 2020 and July of 2021, compared to the 1,800 who died from COVID-19 in the same period.

During that time, an average of 164 people died each month from a drug overdose in B.C.

“A non-medical model is where we think we need to get to,” Daly said of opening access to opioids, “in order to provide an alternative to contaminated drugs so we can reduce the risk of death.”…

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