Four lives were lost in Nanaimo to the toxic drug crisis in May. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

tragedy

Nanaimo area sees slight dip in fatal overdoses as B.C.’s longest crisis continues

Jun 30, 2021 | 4:30 PM

NANAIMO – The trend of fatal overdoses in Nanaimo and central Vancouver Island dipped slightly in May.

Data from the BC Coroners Service published on Tuesday, June 29 showed four people lost their lives in Nanaimo to the toxic drug crisis.

This is down from six the month before, which was believed to be the most fatal month on record in Nanaimo.

In the first five months of 2021, 19 people fatally overdosed in Nanaimo.

The year started with pre-pandemic levels of fatalities but those numbers rose in subsequent months.

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Island Health as a whole is on track to suffer one of the most fatal years ever, with 29 new fatalities in May.

These were mostly found in the southern Island area, though the death rate per capita is higher in the north.

Across B.C., 160 lives were lost in May.

This was the second most deadly May on record, after May 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began taking a toll on the drug supply and those who use substances.

The number of fatalities was down from the month before, but it wasn’t the first month where the number of fatalities decreased.

B.C. remains on track to have a higher death rate than the year before.

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