In July of this year, 45 more people in B.C. died from toxic drugs than July 2021. This is according to the B.C. Coroners Service latest report, which includes data from 2012 until July 2022.

No one in Revelstoke has died from toxic drugs this year. However, the risk is high.

B.C. Premier John Horgan said during a press conference on Sept. 16 that drugs in the province were made worse by the Canadian border being closed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Now we have a burgeoning fentanyl underground industry within British Columbia that is perhaps more toxic than the supply that was coming offshore prior to the pandemic," Horgan said.

Furthermore, the Coroners Service report said that there are more illicit drugs in all parts of B.C., and more samples include benzodiazepines. Naloxone is used to recuperate people during overdoses, but it doesn't work on benzodiazepines, the report said.

This year up to July, 1297 people in B.C. have died from toxic drugs. That's 25 more than last year at this time.

The report clarifies that the deaths included are only those suspected to be unintentional. People who die from drug overdoses who weren't taking illicit drugs, or who meant to harm themselves, aren't included in the data.

So far this year 216 people have died in the Interior Health Authority.

There are places where you can test your drugs before using them. Go to www.drugchecking.ca to find the nearest location. Community connections Revelstoke has strips to test for fentanyl. They’re free to use and available during open hours. However they do not have the facilities to test for anything else.

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