A spokesperson with the BC Coroners service says to see a record 170 people die of an overdose in a single month is heartbreaking.
That number is more than three times the number of people (53) who died of COVID-19 in the same month, and Andy Watson says the pandemic could be to blame for the increase in overdose deaths.
“There’s also been some thought that you know things like access to more income through the Canadian Emergency Relief Benefit, access to being at home more, increased levels of stress and anxiety – I think all of these factors are contributing in some way to the increase in the number of illicit drug deaths,” he said, on NL Newsday.
“During COVID, some of the access to supervised consumption and overdose prevention sites or the drug checking services has been impacted. We know that more people are at home, and I think those combinations as part of the messaging around social distancing and physical distancing, perhaps there’s some correlation to an unintended consequence there.”
Watson says it shows that there is work to be done, including continuing to advocate for a safe supply of drugs.
“Even though we are up year over year, even though we are reporting the highest monthly total, I guess it is heartening to know that we’ve been able to prevent many deaths, but we are still dealing with 170 of our neighbours in the province that lost their lives in May, and that’s far too many people,” he added.
“I mean one death is too many, but 170 is just heartbreaking.”
B.C.’s Chief coroner, Lisa Lapointe says the federal government has taken some bold steps to address the COVID-19 pandemic, noting its time to do the same for the overdose crisis.
“It strikes me that a similar approach would absolutely save lives and we’ve seen so many lives lost in this province especially due to substance use,” Lapointe said. “You can’t help draw the parallel to far more lives that have been lost to substance use than the pandemic, and thank goodness that we didn’t lose so many people to the pandemic.
During her COVID-19 update on Thursday, B.C.’s provincial health officer, Doctor Bonnie Henry noted the number of overdose deaths was declining before both of the province’s public health emergencies overwhelmed resources.
“I cannot express how difficult this news has been to hear. My thoughts and condolences go out to the families and friends who have lost their loved ones, and I share you grief,” said an emotional Henry.
“These are our brothers and sisters, our coworkers, our sons, our daughters, our friends, our community.”
The coroners service says toxicity in the fentanyl detected in the people who died was at the highest level since B.C. declared a public health emergency in 2016.
– With files from the Canadian Press
