January toxic drug deaths fall 30% in B.C. [Video]

The British Columbia coroner says 152 people died of toxic drug overdoses in January, marking four consecutive months that the toll was under 160.

January’s figure was down more than 30 per cent from the same time last year when there were 219 deaths.

The coroner’s service says half of those who died in January were between the ages of 40 and 59, while three were children or youth under the age of 18.

The powerful opioid fentanyl and its analogues were found in 77 per cent of tests on those who died, followed by methamphetamine, while 46 per cent of those who died had bromazolam in their system, a benzodiazepine that reduces the effectiveness of overdose-reversing drugs.

The coroner says while the number of deaths were down overall, the Fraser and Interior health regions saw increases in their overdose toll.