Another three lives were lost to overdoses by illicit drugs in Burnaby during April, a new report shows.
The BC Coroners Service's latest report shows the death toll for the city has now risen to nine for 2023 thus far.
The province says 206 lives were lost across B.C. during April, raising the total during the year to 814.
"Illicit fentanyl continues to be the main and most lethal driver of B.C.’s drug-toxicity public-health emergency, having been detected in 86% of deaths in 2022 and 79% of deaths in 2023," chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said in a news release.
"Cocaine, methamphetamines and/or benzodiazapines are also often present. This drug poisoning crisis is the direct result of an unregulated drug market. Members of our communities are dying because non-prescribed, non-pharmaceutical fentanyl is poisoning them on an unprecedented scale."
April was the 31st straight month where at least 150 lives were lost to unregulated drugs, the coroners service added and the 13th month in which more than 200 deaths were reported.
April’s death toll roughly equates to 6.9 deaths per day.
The townships with the highest number of illicit drug toxicity deaths in 2023 to date are Vancouver, Surrey and Greater Victoria.
"In April, we lost 206 people to the toxic illicit drug supply. These were friends, family, neighbours and co-workers, and my heart goes out to all of the loved ones left behind in the wake of the toxic drug crisis," Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside said in a separate statement.
"This crisis continues to take its toll in every part of our province, and I am grateful for the dedicated work of front-line workers and peers who save lives every day, and answer the call when people in our province need them."
