BC Sets Multiple Somber Overdose Records as Province Heads into Seventh Year of Public Health Emergency

BC broke multiple overdose-related records last month as we head into the seventh year of a public health emergency.

According to BC Emergency Health Services, paramedics saw the highest 30-day average of overdose calls in March with 119.9 per day.

At one point, paramedics received reports of 100 or more poisonings in 19 consecutive days, which is also a somber record.

But the worst day was March 22nd, during which BCEHS responded to a total of 205 overdose-related calls in just one day.

That info comes as BC marks the seventh anniversary of the Province declaring a public health emergency over the toxic drug crisis.

Since then, more than 11,000 British Columbians have lost their lives to illicit drug overdoses, including 2,272 in 2022 alone.

According to the most recent data from the Coroners’ Service, 211 lives were lost to overdoses province-wide this January.