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Nearly 200 people died of toxic drug overdoses in 1st month of 2024

70% of those who died were between 30 and 59 years old
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People hold signs during a memorial march to remember victims of overdose deaths in Vancouver on Saturday, August 15, 2020. BC Coroners Service says at least 198 people died of overdoses in the province in January 2024 from toxic, unregulated drugs.. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

BC Coroners Service says at least 198 people died of overdoses in the province in January from toxic, unregulated drugs.

That’s about six people dying per day in B.C., according to the latest data released Thursday (Feb. 29). Of the 198 people who died, seven out of every 10 people were between the ages of 30 and 59.

While no area of the province has been spared by the overdose crisis, BC Coroners Service says the areas with the highest rates of death are the northern Interior, north and central Vancouver Island, Vancouver and the northeast.

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Lauren Collins

About the Author: Lauren Collins

I'm a provincial reporter for Black Press Media's national team, after my journalism career took me across B.C. since I was 19 years old.
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