The forensic medicine service in British Columbia confirmed that there were more than 2,500 suspected deaths due to illicit drugs in the province over the past year, the highest annual number recorded.

In announcing this chilling figure, Lisa Lapointe, Chief Forensic Pathologist in British Columbia, renewed her call to expand safer supplies and to "change the systems" that treat drug use as a health issue, not a criminal problem.

Lapointe said in her final public address before retiring next month: "The number of people dying is higher than ever."

She added, "Every day, forensic pathologists across British Columbia go into communities and recover bodies of the deceased. More than 2,500 families lost their loved ones this year without knowing they would be among the statistics. How many people will join these statistics next year?"

The number of suspected deaths due to illicit drugs, which amounted to 2,511 cases recorded last year, equals almost seven people per day on average, representing a 5 percent increase compared to the previous high of 2,383 deaths recorded in 2022.

According to the 2023 forensic service data in British Columbia:

Among those who died, 77 percent were male.

Seventy percent of them were between 30 and 59 years old.

Fentanyl was detected in 85.3 percent of toxic drug death investigations, followed by methamphetamine and amphetamines at 46.9 percent, and benzodiazepines at 40.2 percent.

Vancouver, Surrey, and Greater Victoria recorded the highest numbers of deaths.

The Northern Health region had the highest death rate, at 67 per 100,000 people.

Eight0 percent of unregulated drug deaths occurred indoors.

Smoking was the most common form of consumption at 65 percent, compared to injection and inhalation at 14 percent.

One death occurred at an overdose prevention site.

United leader Kevin Falcon said via social media that the 2,511 deaths serve as an indictment of British Columbia, blaming the New Democratic Party policies, including the "reckless decriminalization" of small amounts of some illicit drugs.

Lapointe said on Wednesday, "Decriminalization is not responsible for these deaths; illicit fentanyl is responsible."

She continued that nearly 14,000 people have died since the province declared toxic drugs a public health emergency in April 2016.

The Chief Forensic Pathologist in British Columbia graduates, frustrated and disappointed with the government's response to the toxic drug crisis.

An estimated 225,000 people in British Columbia use unregulated drugs, according to Lapointe. Among them, 100,000 suffer from opioid use disorder.

She added, "Given the unpredictability of illicit drugs, each of these 225,000 people is at risk of death."

Instead of "watching thousands of people die," Lapointe reiterated her calls for meaningful continuity in care, including expanded harm reduction services such as safer supplies, as well as accessible and evidence-based treatment and recovery programs.

She said, "What if, instead of continuously turning to the police and punishment under the guise of public safety, we instead focused on the underlying issues: that people use or become dependent on substances because of pain, trauma, or physical or mental health challenges?"

The Minister of Mental Health and Addictions in British Columbia rejected the death review committee report recently issued by the forensic service, which recommended providing controlled drugs to people without a prescription, last November.

The report indicated that about 5,000 people have access to safer supplies regulated at the provincial level.

The advocacy group Moms Stop the Harm said politicians need to stop playing politics with the toxic drug crisis and listen to the experts.

The group said in an emailed statement, "The British Columbia New Democratic Party, BC United, and British Columbia Conservative parties have shown a shocking lack of understanding of drug use and addiction."

"Bold and courageous action must be taken, yet instead, politicians take a stance to achieve their own gains."