BC Coroners Service breaks with custom to issue December warning about surging overdose deaths

The BC Coroners Service has broken with its usual practice by issuing a December warning about toxic drugs in the province.

It said an average of seven people have been dying from overdoses every day in the province over the last seven weeks.

The data are still being reviewed, the service explained, but “preliminary indications” are that more than 200 people died from drugs in November.

In October, 189 people died from overdoses, the 37th consecutive month that the death toll has reached at least 150.

More than 13,000 people have died from toxic drugs since the province declared a public health crisis in April 2016.

The Coroners Service said in October that 2023 was on track to be worst year in the history of the drugs crisis, but now believes the death toll “has increased above earlier indications.”

“In recognition of how difficult the holiday season is for those who have lost loved ones, there has historically not been a monthly drug-death reporting update in December,” the service explained.

“It is important, however, to ensure that people are aware of the continuing risks related to the unregulated drug market and of recent increases in deaths reported.”

It added: “In response to a recent increase in deaths caused by toxic drugs, the BC Coroners Service is issuing a public safety warning to anyone using substances purchased from the illicit market.”

The service also mentioned a recent regional drug alert issued by Interior Health concerning counterfeit hydromorphone tablets.

It said the warning makes “clear that even substances presumed to be safe carry significant risk.”

“The only way to be certain about the substances contained in a product that is purchased illicitly is by having it tested by an approved service,” the Coroners Service statement explains.

The warning comes a day after Lisa Lapointe, BC’s outgoing chief coroner, hit out at the NDP’s management of the overdose crisis.

She lamented “one-off, beds and projects” and “ad hoc announcements” that have failed to solve the crisis.

BC has not had a “thoughtful, evidence−based, data−driven plan for how we are going to reduce the number of deaths in our province,” she said.