The Greater Campbell River area has the third highest rate of unregulated drug deaths per 100,000 people in the province.
According to a report from the BC Coroners Service, the Greater Campbell River Area had 109.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2024. In 2023, it was 93.3. In 2016, it was 33.9.
There were 152 and 147 suspected unregulated drug deaths in British Columbia in November and December last year, equating to 5.1 and 4.7 deaths per day. In Campbell River, 55 people lost their lives in 2024. While the Greater Victoria (129) and Greater Nanaimo (98) areas had more deaths, Greater Campbell River has a higher rate per 100,000 people, followed by Vancouver Island North (76.9), Nanaimo (73.6) and Alberni/Clayoquot (65.6). Greater Victoria's deaths per 100,000 is 49.7.
"The cumulative number of unregulated drug deaths in 2024 is 2,253. This represents a 13 per cent decrease from the number of deaths in 2023 (2,578). The rate of death in 2024 is 40 per 100,000 persons, which is less than the annual rates in any of the previous three years (2021-2023)," reads the report.
Rates of female deaths have steadily increased since 2016, with deaths (20 deaths per 100,000) in 2024 over 50 per cent higher than the rate in 2020 (13 per 100,000).
However, 74 per cent of deaths in 2024 were male. Most of the deaths were people aged between 30 and 59, making up 70 per cent.
Only 19 per cent of deaths occurred outside in vehicles, on sidewalks, streets, and parks. The most common place was in private residences at 48 per cent, with 33 per cent occurring in other residences such as social and supportive housing, SROs, shelters and hotels.)
"Smoking was the most common mode of consumption in 2024 with 67 per cent showing evidence of smoking followed by nasal insufflation (13 per cent), injection (11 per cent), and oral (5 five per cent)," reads the report.
Fentanyl was related to 78 per cent of the deaths in 2024.
