Overdose death rate holding steady within Interior Health Authority

Deaths from suspected fatal illicit drug overdoses across the province were down 23 per cent in April from the month before, according to the latest numbers from the B.C. Coroners Service.

Overdoses in the Interior Health Authority service area were down from 22 in March to 17 in April, according to the Illicit Drug Overdose Deaths report released today, June 7.

There have been 79 overdose deaths in the Interior Health Authority in the first four months of this year. Last year, the health authority recorded 241 deaths.

Kelowna slipped below Kamloops in the latest tally, recording 15 illicit drug overdose deaths so far in 2018 compared to Kamloops which has recorded 17 since January 1.

Vernon has reported seven deaths since the beginning of the year.

The health authority has recorded 31.1 overdose deaths per 100,000 population in 2018, just slightly lower than the provincial average of 31.5.

The deaths mostly involve the opioid painkiller fentanyl, which is often laced into street drugs such as heroin.

B.C. has been plagued with an epidemic of overdose deaths and declared a provincial health emergency in April 2016 to try and stem the rising numbers.

Read more stories about the opioid crisis here.

To contact a reporter for this story, email John McDonald or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.