December was the deadliest month to date for overdose deaths in British Columbia.
Numbers from the BC Coroners Service show 142 people died last month – with 914 deaths through 2016. Minister of Health Terry Lake says the government is investing $10-million to open additional treatment beds.
Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe says we’ve reached the point where those using illicit drugs can no longer manage the risk.
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Lapointe notes that while the numbers of overdose deaths continues to rise, she says there is no doubt the numbers would have been much higher had the current harm-reduction initiatives not been put in place.