Almost 70 lives were lost in Burnaby to illicit drug overdoses during 2022, according to the latest data released by the BC Coroners Service.
Fifteen more deaths were recorded in November and December of this year, bringing the city's yearly total to 69, which is the second-highest total in a decade.
Burnaby's highest-ever total since 2012 was 81 drug deaths in 2021, which was a 37 per cent increase from 59 in 2020.
"British Columbians across the province are continuing to experience tremendous harm and loss as a result of the province's toxic illicit drug supply," BC chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said in a news release.
"Our province continues to lose an average of six lives every day, and many more people experience serious health consequences as a result of the unpredictable, unregulated drug supply. Death due to drug toxicity remains the leading cause of unnatural death in British Columbia, and is second only to cancers in terms of years of life lost."
Provincially, 2,272 deaths were reported — the second-highest total ever in a calendar year. There were only 34 fewer deaths in 2022 than in 2021 (2,306).
Illicit drug toxicity deaths hit an average of 189 per month last year, which equated to roughly 6.2 lives lost per day.
"The reality is that these deaths are preventable," Lapointe added.
"Toxicology data confirms that the drug supply in British Columbia is increasingly volatile and life-threatening. The Standing Committee on Health and two BC Coroners Service death review panels are in agreement that we must rapidly increase access to a safer supply of substances, while at the same time, building out a robust system of evidence-based care. Those dying are our family members, neighbours, friends and colleagues. Urgent action is required to reduce the significant risks that tens of thousands of British Columbians are currently facing."
The highest rates by Local Health Area in 2022 were Vancouver-Centre North, Terrace, Merritt, Hope and Prince George.
The BC Coroners Service said there was one reported death at an overdose prevention site last year.
"These figures reflect the overwhelming number of human stories that we as physicians are seeing on a daily basis," British Columbia Centre on Substance Use co-medical director Dr. Paxton Bach added in the release.
"There is no industry, no socio-economic class, no geographic region in the province that is not being touched by this crisis, and for each of these deaths there are 10 more people suffering other life-altering consequences due to non-fatal overdose events.
"This has gone on for too long, and demands the urgent and co-ordinated response from all sectors that such a crisis deserved from the beginning."
