October was a rare month where no one died due to toxic drugs in the Kootenay-Boundary.
A BC Coroners Service round-up of statistics relating to unregulated drug deaths showed our area was the only part of the province where no one died that month.
It’s the second month this year with not fatalities in the region: January was the other one.
The East Kootenay did not have any deaths in December 2024 either.
Year to date, there have been 41 deaths in the Kootenay-Boundary, of which 27 were in the West Kootenay-Boundary and 14 in the East Kootenay.
Of those deaths, nine were in Nelson, eight were in Cranbrook, and seven were in Trail. There were also three each in Castlegar and Grand Forks, two each in Fernie and the Arrow Lakes, and one apiece in Creston and Golden. None have been recorded in Kimberley, Windermere, Kootenay Lake, or Kettle Valley.
Province-wide, 150 people died from toxic drugs in October. However, the number of deaths this year is on track to be the lowest in the last five years. There have been 1,538 so far, compared to 1,775 in 2020. Deaths peaked in 2023 at 2,589.
The BC Corners Service says fentanyl and its analogues remain the most common substance found in toxicological testing, followed by fluorofentanyl, cocaine, and meth.
Among deaths were the occupation industry was known, the most common areas of employment were trades, transport, and equipment operators; and sales and service.
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