Kelowna’s drug scene was just as deadly last year as it was in 2017.
A total of 73 people died of an illegal drug overdose in Kelowna last year, the same number as recorded five years earlier, the BC Coroners Service reported Wednesday.
Such fatalities were the highest-ever in Vernon, at 42 last year, compared to the 27 illegal drug overdose deaths recorded in the North Okanagan city in 2020.
Penticton saw 26 illegal drug overdose deaths last year, also a record number for the city.
Across BC, there were 2,224 illegal drug overdose deaths, the highest number ever recorded in the province.
“Over the past seven years, our province has experienced a devastating loss of life due to a toxic illicit drug supply,” chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said in a release. “This public health emergency has impacted families and communities across the province and shows no sign of abating.”
She called again for the creation of a safe, reliable, regulated drug supply.
A statement from the Ministry of Health also said ways must be found to reduce what it said was the fear and shame that causes people not to seek help, hide their drug use, or use alone, a practice which makes it impossible to get help if they overdose.
“We continue to push Health Canada to approve our exemption so we can implement decriminalization of people who use drugs throughout BC,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said in a. statements.
“This is a vital step to overcoming the stigma and shame associated with using drugs and helping to connect people with the supports they need,” Henry said.
