The number of drug overdose fatalities in B.C. dropped in January compared to the same month of 2017.

The Director of Strategic Communications for the BC Coroners Service Andy Watson says 125 people lost their lives in January down 12% from the same month last year.

However Watson notes the death toll is up 25% from December.

“It just goes to show you that the numbers continue to fluctuate but we are seeing you know in the high high numbers near around 100 month to month and we continue to see fentanyl detected in a high rate of these deaths.”

Watson points out three cities reported over 10 deaths in Janaury but Kamloops was not among them.

He says finite Kamloops specific statistics were not yet available.

“In the Thompson Cariboo we saw six suspected illicit drug overdose deaths in Janaury. For the entire 2017 year there were 63, so it seems to be around the same in 2017.”

The highest number of illicit drug overdoses in January were in Vancouver, Surrey, and Victoria with half of those who died being between 19 and 39 years of age, and 82% of the overdose fatalities continue to be men.