The BC Coroners Service said 170 people died of an illicit drug overdose in May, the highest total ever recorded for a single month in provincial history. "It's frustrating to see the number of illicit drug deaths go up and to reach a new high ... 'Extreme' fentanyl concentrationsMore than 82 per cent of overdose deaths in May involved fentanyl. "We know ... that the drug supply right now is highly toxic ... For people who are using drugs, it's a dangerous time right now." was starting to see a drop in overdose deaths by the end of 2019, only to see a surge once the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Source: CBC News June 11, 2020 18:31 UTC