Numbers are improving year-to-year but still more than 100 people died due to toxic drug poisonings in the Central Okanagan in 2024.
According to the BC Coroners Service, toxic drug deaths are down 13 per cent across the province. In the Central Okanagan, 105 died from toxic drug poisonings in 2024, down from 118 in 2023. To be more specific, 87 of the 105 toxic drug poisonings took place in 麻豆精选, with the remaining deaths in West 麻豆精选, Peachland, and Lake Country.
BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) have also released its call volumes in relation to overdoses/poisonings in 2024.
Sitting fourth in the province, paramedics in 麻豆精选 received 2,032 calls, down from 2,274 the previous year. Lake Country (32) and Peachland (10) also saw their numbers slightly decrease.
However, West 麻豆精选 had an increase in calls at 213, which was the same number of calls reported in 2022. In 2023, West 麻豆精选 received 181 calls.
Across the province, 2,253 people of a drug overdose in 2024, the lowest number since 2021.
Since B.C.'s toxic drug crisis was declared in 2016, 16,328 people have died.
