British Columbia continues to grapple with the toxic drug crisis. The province’s coroner says overdose deaths from illicit drugs were down 10 per cent this January, compared to the same month last year.
The coroners service says 150 people died from toxic drugs across the province in January.
The Northern Health region had the highest, per capita percentage of fatalities in BC, with 58 deaths per 100,000 individuals. Interior Health was second with 40 per 100,000.
The provincial government says the 10 per cent decrease still means nearly five British Columbians are dying from an overdose each day.
The coroner says 80 per cent of those who died were men, and almost three quarters were people between the ages of 30 and 59.
Fentanyl continues to be identified in a significant majority of deaths.
With files from The Canadian Press