Drug deaths in B-C dropped last year to under two-thousand for the first time since 2020.
New figures from the BC Coroners Service show 1,826 overdose deaths last year, as the crisis continues to claim thousands of lives. 77 per cent of the deaths were male.
The figures for last year are a 21 per cent drop from the year before, but the service says it still represents a profound loss of life.
The powerful opioid fentanyl was found in 69 per cent of those who were tested, but more than half also had fluorofentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine in their system
The province is expanding distribution of nasal naloxone, a fast-acting medication that can reverse opioid overdoses.
Officials say wider access to the life-saving treatment is key to preventing deaths and connecting people with care.