Daphne Bramham: Another tragic record set and no end in sight for overdose deaths
Last year, 981 people died. In the first six months of 2020, 728 people have already died.
Vancouver has the second highest rate. But based on the preliminary data released Thursday by B.C. Coroner Lisa Lapointe, there are stark differences between what’s happening here and what’s happening outside the urban areas.Article content continued In stark contrast, nearly half of Vancouver Coastal’s deaths occurred in social housing, supportive housing, single-room occupancy hotels, shelters and rooming houses.
They’ve studied the rising numbers among middle-aged, middle-American men with no university education who committed suicide or died of drug overdoses between 1999 to 2017. They found that most of the estimated 600,000 ‘extra’ deaths were preceded by the loss of jobs, community and dignity as the economy has shifted.Article content continued
Regardless, the COVID pandemic has caused overdose deaths to spike in every region of the province even though with federal approval, the province has relaxed restrictions on prescribing illicit drug users with a wide range of pharmaceuticals including pharmaceutical grade heroin, methamphetamine and benzodiazepines.
Yet, as with other vulnerable populations including seniors, COVID’s most damaging consequences may result from social-distancing measures aimed at preventing its spread.
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