Toxic drug deaths in B.C. dropped slightly in January, but the Kootenay Boundary saw one of the highest rates per capita in the province.
The B.C. Coroners Service said there were an estimated 150 unregulated drug deaths provincewide last month, about 10 per cent fewer than the 167 recorded during the same month last year.
Regionally, the East Kootenay Health Service Delivery Area (HSDA) recorded three deaths last month, while five were reported in the Kootenay Boundary HSDA.
Provincially, the highest number of deaths occurred in areas served by the Fraser Health Authority and Vancouver Coastal Health, which together accounted for more than half of January’s drug deaths.
However, when adjusted for population, some of the highest death rates were reported in smaller regions, including the Kootenay Boundary, at about 5.7 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the B.C. Coroners Service.
The coroner’s service said the numbers are preliminary and could change as investigations and toxicology results are completed.
Fentanyl and chemically similar drugs were identified in the majority of deaths, while smoking remained the most common method of drug consumption among those who died.
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