The BC Coroners Service has released some pretty grim numbers on drug toxicity deaths so far this year, especially for here in the Cariboo.
There were already 9 lives lost due to illicit drugs in Quesnel through April of this year.
That compares to 11 for all of 2023, and the most ever recorded was 18 back in 2020.
The Cariboo-Chilcotin, which includes Williams Lake, had 10 deaths through the first 4 months of 2024.
There were 13 in all of 2023 and the most ever recorded was 19 back in 2022.
On a positive note, there were no deaths from illicit drugs recorded in 100 Mile House through April of this year.
There were 3 in 2023.
The Northern Interior Health Service Delivery area, which includes Quesnel, continues to have the highest death rate from illicit drugs in the province at 106.6 per 100,000 people.
North Vancouver Island is a distant second at 79.5.
The Thompson/Cariboo/Shuswap Health Service Delivery area, which includes Williams Lake and 100 Mile House, had a death rate of 56.2, which was 6th out of 16.
There were 56 suspected overdoses in the Northern Interior through April which is on pace for 168 for the entire year.
There were 126 in all of 2023.
Something going on in the Cariboo you think people should know about?
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