British Columbia

More than 2,500 people died from unregulated, toxic drugs in B.C. last year, with fentanyl continuing to be a major driver.

The powerful opioid has been detected in 86 per cent of deaths each year between 2017 and 2023, according to B.C. Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe, who provided an update on the public health emergency on Wednesday.

“Your child, brother, sister, mom dad friend or colleague did not deserve to die this way. Their death was preventable. Their loss — your loss — is our collective loss,” Lapointe said. “How many more families will join these statistics next year?”

Since the crisis was declared in April 2016, she said 13,794 lives have been lost. The province’s experts estimate some 225,000 British Columbians are currently accessing the drugs through the illicit market, Lapointe added.

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