Coroner reports sharp spike in women and girls dying from illicit drugs in B.C.
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/10/2024 (719 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
VICTORIA – Illicit drug deaths are down slightly in British Columbia from the same period last year, but the coroners service says women and girls are dying at a much higher rate.
The service says in a statement that 26 per cent of the 1,749 toxicity deaths so far this year were women or girls, and the rate of death among female victims is up 60 per cent from four years ago.
There were 187 overdose deaths in B.C. in August and 183 in September.
The service says the nine-month total is an eight per cent decrease from the same period last year, although it still represents about six people a day dying from unregulated drugs.
Just under half of those who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old.
The potent opioid fentanyl remains the primary cause, and was detected in 85 per cent of the drug deaths.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.