The BC Coroners Service has updated the number of illegal drug overdose deaths as of the end of August.
In August of 2019, there were 79 deaths from street drugs, which was a 37-percent decrease from August of 2018 — but a 13-percent increase from the number of deaths in July.
For the first eight months of 2019, there were 690 overdose deaths in the province, which was 33 percent lower than the same eight-month period in 2018, when more than a thousand were reported.
Most of the O-D victims were from 30 to 59 years old and most were men.
Fentanyl was detected in more than 85 percent of street drug deaths in 2018 and 2019.
The BC Coroners Service said no deaths have been reported at supervised consumption sites or drug overdose prevention sites.
