Coroner, policy experts push for expanded safe supply as drug toxicity deaths continue to climb

With British Columbia on pace to break the annual record for drug toxicity deaths again – drug policy experts and the province’s chief coroner continue to press for an expansion of safer supply alternatives.

With British Columbia on pace to break the annual record for drug toxicity deaths again – drug policy experts and the province’s chief coroner continue to press for an expansion of safer supply alternatives.

According to the latest numbers released by the BC Coroner’s Service, 198 people in the province died from tainted street drugs in July.

The total from the start of year to the end of last month is 1,455 – a record for that time span.

"We know that this crisis is being driven by broken policy,” said DJ Larkin, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition.

By some estimates, about 100,000 people in the province have been diagnosed with some form of substance use disorder, but according to the province’s own numbers, just 4,619 were prescribed safer supply opioids in June.

“I think it’s making a difference. But I also think 198 people passing away is obviously unacceptable to me and to everybody,” said provincial Health Minister Adrian Dix.

Larkin points out the number of people diagnosed with substance use disorder does not include occasional recreational users who are also getting drugs from the toxic street supply.