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The B.C. Coroners Service is warning drug users that while the number of drug toxicity deaths is going down, the drug supply on the street is still tainted and unpredictable.

The coroner reported Thursday that there were 69 suspected drug toxicity deaths in October 2019, a 42-per-cent decrease over the 118 deaths in October 2018.

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Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said in a statement Thursday that while the number of fatalities has decreased this year, the number of non-fatal drug toxicity events remains high.

“The drug supply in our province is unpredictable and perilous, and the long-term impacts of drug toxicity can be severe,” said Lapointe.

She called the numbers a “promising trend,” but noted there must be a focus on the unsafe supply of drugs.

From January to October, paramedics in B.C. responded to more than 20,000 overdose calls around the province, an average of 64 potential drug poisoning calls per day, according to the coroner.