Abbotsford in 2023 recorded its second-highest number of fatal drug poisonings in the last 10 years.
Retiring chief coroner Lisa Lapointe on Wednesday (Jan. 24) released 2023 figures for the province, indicating that the unregulated-drug crisis claimed 2,511 lives – a record-breaking number over the last decade of data and five per cent higher than 2022.
In Abbotsford, the crisis claimed 90 lives last year, compared to 92 in 2022. The number of deaths in Abbotsford from 2013 to 2021 (in order) were: 10, 7, 27, 40, 52, 41, 44, 65 and 86.
The provincial rate of overdose deaths for 2023 was 45.7 deaths per population of 100,000 residents. Abbotsford’s rate was 51.4 per 100,000 population compared to 55.1 in 2022.
This compares to a 2023 rate of 54.6 in Chilliwack, 123.7 in Hope (the highest in the region), 62.1 in Mission and 26.0 in Langley.
RELATED: 2023 was the worst year for fatal toxic drug poisonings in B.C. history
In sharing the figures on Wednesday, Lapointe accused officials of ignoring evidence and falling back on the familiar but false and expensive solution of treating users of drugs as criminals and stigmatizing them.
“We can take measures to save lives, or we can continue to count the dead,” Lapointe said in lamenting the lack of a broader plan and data around which to base such a plan. “We can’t become complacent with drug toxicity as the leading cause of death for a significant portion of our population.”
She disagreed with claims that decriminalization has contributed to the rising death numbers.
“Illicit fentanyl is responsible for these deaths,” she said. “The goal of decriminalization didn’t mean that more drugs were available.”
But Lapointe criticized the government for launching decriminalization without the supports in the place.
“The treatment and recovery services are not there,” she said. “There are no standards for treatment and recovery. This is not a B.C. issue. This is common across the country.
Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside was in Chilliwack on Wednesday to address the report and the number of deaths.
“We have to reflect that each life was precious, and their stories and their dreams were a vital part of the life of communities across our province,” Whiteside said.
“We have all been touched by this crisis and cannot ignore the long-lasting impacts on families, communities and our health care system.”
RELATED: Overdose death rates in Chilliwack, Hope higher than B.C. average in 2023
She thanked Lapointe for “her growth, her guidance and her work” over the years.
Despite Lapointe’s criticism of the province’s inability to stop the inexorable rise of overdose fatalities from a toxic supply, the minister said it was nonetheless “taking action to strengthen mental-health and addiction services” across the spectrum of needs.
”Our goal is to save lives,” Whiteside said. “Our goal is to ensure that everyone has access to the care and support that they need when they need it.”
Whiteside said they have made “significant progress” across B.C. with the addition of 12 Foundry centres, enhanced peer-assisted teams, and more access to bed-based treatment, as well as outpatient and virtual care.
“And we have recently launched public awareness campaigns to share messages of hope, and to help people connect to the right care for them.”
Whiteside cited early intervention and prevention as key, along with housing, treatment and recovery.
“Our goal is to ensure that accessible, effective care is there for everyone, right when they need it.”
– with files from Jennifer Feinberg, Lauren Collins and Wolfgang Depner
