Six people died of toxic illicit drug overdose deaths from Topley through Houston, Telkwa and Smithers to the Witset First Nation in 2022 as northwestern B.C. ranked prominently in comparison to other parts of the province.
The death total from Topley to Witset is down from the 10 overdose deaths recorded in 2021 but is markedly higher than the one death recorded in 2020 and the three deaths in 2019, indicate figures from the B.C. Coroners Service.
There were six overdose deaths in 2018, two in 2017, and one each in 2016 and 2015.
Within the northwest, Terrace had 25 deaths in 2022 while Prince Rupert had 10 and Kitimat had seven.
Prince George at 84 overdose deaths ranked the highest in northern B.C. for 2022.
Terrace stood out for another reason as well, ranking second in the province in drug overdose deaths when based on population.
For 2022, Terrace’s death count of 25 people placed it at 110 people per 100,000 population.
Only a portion of Vancouver ranks higher in B.C. with 470 people per 100,000 population or 319 deaths.
Of the 25 local health areas in B.C. recording the highest number of deaths per 100,000 population, Kitimat is listed as 10th and Prince Rupert is 14th.
Prince George is the only other centre in the north to make the Top 25 list at 79 deaths per 100,000 people or, in actual numbers, 84 deaths.
There were 2,272 suspected overdose deaths across B.C. in 2022.
In November and December of 2022 alone, the death rate worked out to 6.4 deaths a day.
Fully 79 per cent of those who died were male and 70 per cent of those who died were between 30 and 59 years old.
As far as locations where overdose deaths occur, 84 per cent in northern B.C. take place in a private or other residence while 14 per cent take place outside.
The BC Coroners Service uses the term illicit drug toxicity category to include heroin, cocaine, MDMA, methamphetamine, illicit fentanyl, prescription drugs meant for others and combinations of any of the above.
The federal government has agreed to a three-year pilot project in B.C. as of Feb. 1 to not charge people who have 2.5 grams of illicit drugs on their person.
That’s intended to encourage people to seek help by treating addiction as a medical condition and not a crime.