254826
Kelowna  

Drug deaths across Southern Interior, B.C. down in 2024

Drug deaths drop in 2024

B.C.’s Southern Interior had the fewest toxic drug deaths since 2020, according to the latest from the B.C. Coroners Service.

Throughout the Interior Health region, 392 people died in 2024. That figure is 10 per cent fewer than 2023, where 436 people died.

Over the course of the year, the number drug deaths was lowest in December, with 14 people dying. That’s half as many deaths than November, when 30 people in the health region died from the toxic drug supply.

Of the deaths recorded throughout the health authority in 2024, 87 were in Kelowna; 26 were in Penticton; 42 were in Vernon, and nine were in Nelson. These figures all reflect a drop from previous years though not all saw a decline. In Kamloops, the number of toxic drug deaths for 2024 was 90, compared to 84 a year earlier.

These falling numbers reflect a provincewide trend, with 13 per cent fewer deaths across B.C.recorded. There were 2,253 lives lost in 2024. This is consistent with reporting from other jurisdictions in Canada and internationally, Dr. Jatinder Baidwan, chief coroner, said.

"This public health emergency touches every corner of our province,” Josie Osborne, Minister of Health, said in a press release.

“Addiction can be influenced by many factors, including housing challenges, the cost of living, mental and physical pain, and intergenerational trauma. By addressing these issues openly and expanding supports, we can help reduce the stigma around substance use and encourage individuals to seek help rather than struggle in addiction.”

Osborne said, although there is a decrease in deaths— 152 in November 2024 and 147 in December 2024—“this in no way diminishes grief that permeates our communities.”

Fentanyl and its analogues continue to be the primary driver of unregulated drug toxicity deaths in B.C., detected in 78% of expedited toxicological testing in 2024.

Cocaine (52%), fluorofentanyl (46%), methamphetamine (43%) and bromazolam (41%) were the other most common substances detected in expected toxicology.



More Kelowna News