177 lives lost to toxic drugs in February 2024: BC Coroners Service

VICTORIA, BC: Preliminary reporting from the BC Coroners Service confirms that at least 177 people in British Columbia were lost to toxic, unregulated drugs in February.
The total number of lives lost reflects an 11% decrease from the number investigated by the Coroners Service in February 2023, and a 12% decrease from the number reported in January 2024. However, February is also the 20th consecutive month in which there have been at least 175 deaths suspected to be caused by the toxic-drug supply reported by the agency. An average of 6.1 lives were lost per day in February 2024.
Rates of death throughout the province remain significantly elevated. The provincewide rate of death for the first two months of 2024 is 40.1 per 100,000 residents, which is below the record numbers reported in 2023 but still nearly twice the rate recorded in 2016, the year the public-health emergency was first declared. Of note, both the Northern (76.7) and Island (54.3) health authorities recorded record-high rates of death in the first two months of 2024.
Unregulated drug toxicity is the leading cause of death in British Columbia for persons aged 10 to 59, accounting for more deaths than homicides, suicides, accidents and natural disease combined. The lives of at least 14,208 British Columbians have been lost to unregulated drugs since the public-health emergency was first declared in April 2016.
The townships experiencing the highest number of unregulated drug deaths in 2024 are Vancouver, Surrey and Nanaimo.
By Health Service Delivery Area in 2024, the highest rates have been recorded in Northern Interior, North Vancouver Island, Central Vancouver Island, Vancouver and Thompson Cariboo Shuswap.
By Local Health Area in 2023, the highest rates have been recorded in Vancouver-Centre North, Hope, Alberni/Clayoquot, Terrace and Greater Campbell River.
In 2024, 86% of unregulated drug deaths occurred inside (48% in private residences and 38% in other inside residences including social and supportive housing, SROs, shelters, and hotels and other indoor locations) and 13% occurred outside in vehicles, sidewalks, streets, parks, etc.