Tag Archives: BC Coroners Service

Greater Campbell River Continues To Be Among BC’s worst Local Health Areas For Toxic Drug Deaths

Greater Campbell River continues to be one of the worst Local Health Areas in the province for unregulated drug deaths, according to the BC Coroner’s Service. Vancouver-Centre North, Terrace, Prince George and Grand Forks were also named.   

So far this year, 1,925 British Columbians have lost their lives because of unregulated drug use. 155 of them died in October. 

These numbers come on the heels of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s recently released State of Mental Health in Canada 2024, which reported that “32% of all apparent drug-related deaths in Canada occurred in British Columbia. This province is ground zero in the drug toxicity crisis. The high rates of housing insecurity and unaffordability, core housing need and poverty all contribute to these drug-related harms.” 

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Medical detox coming to Campbell River

Greater Campbell River has one of highest rates of drug related deaths in BC.

The first community-based medical detox north of Nanaimo will be opening in Campbell River this Fall. Island Health secured a location at 731 Nicholas Road near the North Island Hospital – Campbell River campus. 

“This is a really exciting addition to Campbell River.  When people living with addiction reach out and make that brave choice of getting the services that they need, we’d need to be able to meet them where they are and with the services that they need right away. This is a new six bed medical detox that the community has been asking  for,” explained  Michele Babchuk, MLA for North Island and a resident of Campbell River. 

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Youth face barriers to overdose harm reduction, say front-line workers

Editor’s note: There were 47 drug related deaths in the Greater Campbell River Health Area during 2023. This is the third worst drug related death rate on Vancouver Island, only surpassed by Victoria (145) and Nanaimo (116). There were 31 drug related deaths in Greater Campbell River during 2022 and 26 in 2021

Greater Campbell River is a health area that stretches from the Oyster River to Sayward on the east coast of Vancouver Island, and includes Discovery Island communities like Cortes, Quadra and Read, but the epicentre of this public health emergency is the city of Campbell River.  According to BC emergency Health Services, paramedics responded to 681 drug overdose calls in Campbell River last year. The numbers have kept increasing every year since COVID arrived in March 2020 and did not decrease after the period of self distancing ended. There were 525 callouts in 2022, 404 in 2021 and 249 in 2020. In the four years prior to that, the call numbers fluctuated from a low of 152 in 2016 to a high of 230 in 2018.

By Alexandra Mehl, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With the toxic drug crisis as the leading cause of death for British Columbians aged 10 though 59, nearly 170 youth, aged 18 and under, have lost their lives since 2017. According to experts, not enough research and monitoring has been done to assess the impacts of the crisis on young people, who also face barriers when accessing harm reduction services.

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It’s the ‘Eve of Decriminalization’ for Drug Possession in BC

By Moira Wyton, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

People who use drugs are cautiously optimistic about British Columbia’s forthcoming move to decriminalize possession of some  drugs, but frontline harm reduction groups across the province say  uncertainty about how it will be enforced is hampering their efforts to  prepare.

On Jan. 31, B.C. will  become the first jurisdiction in Canada to decriminalize possession of  small amounts of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, MDMA and methamphetamine for  personal use. 

Continue reading It’s the ‘Eve of Decriminalization’ for Drug Possession in BC

Toxic Drug Toll Continues Deadly Climb

By Moira Wyton, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

British Columbia’s toxic drug supply killed 195 more people in May, putting 2022 on course to be the third consecutive deadliest year in the  public health emergency.

More than six people died each day on average in May, the BC Coroners Service reported today. That’s the highest number ever recorded in the month of May.

Continue reading Toxic Drug Toll Continues Deadly Climb