2,272 people died from poisoned drug supply in B.C. in 2022: coroner
The BC Coroners’ Service announced its latest findings on Tuesday , revealing a suspected 2,272 people died from the poisoned drug supply throughout 2022 – just 34 deaths short of the year prior.
The coroner’s numbers go as far back as 1996 when 301 people died. Annual fatalities ranged between 172 and 529 until 2016 when they leapt to 994. It was in April of that year that B.C. declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency.The latest numbers come as B.C. introduces a three-year decriminalization pilot project. As of Tuesday, people who use drugs will be allowed to carry up to 2.5 grams on them without fear of having them seized or being arrested.
The move is intended to reduce stigma around drug use in hopes that people who use them do so alone less often and seek out supports more often. Advocates and experts have expressed mixed opinions on the decision, in part praising it as a move in the right direction, while also criticizing it as falling short.
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