Nearly five people a day died of an illicit drug overdose in British Columbia in 2020.
In May 2021, 160 people died of a fatal overdose across B.C. In the first five months of 2021, there were 851 deaths due to overdose compared to 569 during the same period in 2020.
Broken down by health authority, there have been 233 overdoses in Vancouver Coastal so far this year, 291 in Fraser Health, 130 in Interior Health, 139 on Vancouver Island and 58 in the Northern Health region.
The social and economic consequences to our community are devastating and proves this crisis is not just an inner-city problem but is now in every neighbourhood.
To highlight the overdose epidemic and its impact in the Fraser Valley, Black Press is publishing a new Overdose Prevention Resource Guide, which will be available at local service agencies, health clinics, and at our newspaper office.
You can read a sample of the stories contained in the new guide in this week’s edition of The Mission Record. You will find the entire guide on our e-edition page.
Community partners involved in the Overdose Prevention Resource Guide include Fraser Health, the University of the Fraser Valley, Fraser House Society, Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation, Mission Community Services, and Pacific Community Resources Society.
