Second straight year, Merritt loses six to drug toxicity deaths: B.C. Coroner Service

For a second consecutive year, the province is reporting that six people died from toxic drugs in the Merritt region during the 2024 calendar year.

In total, B.C. Coroners Service announced there were 2,253 unregulated drug toxicity deaths in the province last year, representing a 13% decrease in the number of deaths from 2023 (2,578) and is less than the annual figure from any of the previous three years, however still the fourth-deadliest year since 2016 when the province declared a public health emergency due to the increased number of drug poisonings.

In the Interior Health region which encompasses the Merritt area, there were 392 lives lost to illicit drugs which is down from 436 in 2023, however it remains the third highest since statistics were made available from the Coroner Service.

“The information collected by our coroners during their investigations into unregulated drug toxicity deaths, indicates a decline in fatalities over the last several months of 2024. This is consistent with reporting from other jurisdictions in Canada and internationally,” said Dr. Jatinder Baidwan, chief coroner. “This doesn’t mitigate the fact that 2,253 members of our communities died in 2024, leaving behind grieving loved ones, friends, colleagues and teammates.”

The six deaths in the Merritt area, were a far cry from the record setting total set during the Covid-19 pandemic years; 11 in 2022 and 14 in 2021.

B.C. Minister of Health Josie Osborne, issued a statement on behalf of her department and the province:

“Today, we acknowledge the 2,253 people in British Columbia who lost their lives to poisoned drugs in 2024. Behind every number is a child, parent, sibling, friend or neighbour, and their loss is felt deeply by those who knew and loved them. The toxic-drug crisis also continues to take a heavy toll on the people working on the front lines who care for and support many of the people we’ve lost. We must continue to work together to prevent further heartbreak and save lives.”

According to the Coroner Service, Fentanyl continues to be the catalyst in reported illicit drug deaths in the province at 78%. Cocaine (52%), fluorofentanyl (46%), methamphetamine (43%) and bromazolam (41%) were the other most common substances detected in expected toxicology.

Since the public health emergency was first declared in April 2016, the lives of at least 16,047 people in B.C. have been lost to unregulated drug toxicity.

For more information about mental-health and substance-use supports in B.C., visit: https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/