Four more drug-related deaths in Vernon, city on track for record high total

For the second month in a row, Vernon recorded four deaths linked to toxic illicit drugs in July.

The preliminary death data from the B.C. Coroners Service brings the year-to-date toxic drug death total for Vernon up to 27.

Vernon remains on track to have its most drug deaths on record. The current highest annual total was 43 in 2021.

Kelowna has seen a total of 51 toxic drug deaths after recording 13 in July, and Kamloops had three deaths confirmed in July to bring its year-to-date total to 50.

Similarly to Vernon, Kelowna and Kamloops are both on track to surpass the highest drug death totals on record, 75 in Kelowna and 78 in Kamloops. Both those annual totals were recorded in 2021.

The local deaths were part of 192 across the province, including 38 in the Interior.

To date, there have been a total of 1,297 deaths linked to toxic illicit drugs in B.C., and 216 in the Interior.

The Interior and B.C., as a whole, are also trending towards setting new annual totals of toxic illicit drug deaths. B.C.’s highest annual total was 2,269 deaths in 2021, while the Interior’s was 376, also in 2021.

The B.C. Coroners’ report stated that 56.5 per cent of all drug deaths this year have occurred in private residences, 23.1 per cent have happened in other residences and 14.8 per cent have occurred outside.

In the Interior, 61.2 per cent of drug deaths this year have occurred in a private residence, 22 per cent in another residence, and 11.8 per cent outside.

The report noted that 78 per cent of the people who died due to illicit toxic drugs in B.C. so far this year were men.

It also stated that 24.3 per cent of those who died were between the ages of 50 and 59, 23.5 per cent were aged 30 to 39 and 23.4 per cent were between 40 and 49 years old.

To date, no deaths have been reported at supervised consumption and safe injection sites or drug overdose prevention sites in B.C., and post-mortem toxicology reports show no indication that prescribed safe supply is contributing to drug deaths.

“As they have for the past seven years, these numbers reflect the ever-present threat that illicit drugs pose to substance users across B.C.,” said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner.

“The unregulated drug market continues to be volatile and toxic, and anyone using drugs purchased from illicit suppliers is at high risk for serious harm or death. We continue to urge those using illicit drugs to access drug-checking services, where available, or visit overdose-prevention sites, where available.”