Article content

The number of overdose deaths from illegal drugs has nearly doubled this year in B.C.

The B.C. Coroners Service released a new tally Thursday of the number of illicit drug overdose fatalities.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or More than 1,100 drug overdose deaths in B.C. this year Back to video

So far this year, 1,103 people have died from an overdose, up from 607 at this time in 2016. None of the fatalities happened at a safe injection site.

B.C.’s Minister of Mental Health Judy Darcy called the numbers “staggering.”

The coroner says there were 80 suspected drug overdose deaths this September, a 31 per cent increase from the same month last year.

Of the total number of overdose deaths, fentanyl was detected in 83 per cent, representing an increase of 147 per cent over the same period in 2016.

The coroner said that in most cases fentanyl was combined with other drugs, most often cocaine, heroin or methamphetamines.

Carfentanil has been detected in 37 suspected illicit drug overdose deaths between June and September of 2017.