Two more Richmond residents died in April of toxic drugs, bringing this year’s total to eight.
Two people have died every month this year in Richmond using drugs laced with chemicals like fentanyl and carfentanil.
On Thursday, the BC Coroners Service released April statistics of drug poisoning deaths, and it showed numbers were up 17 per cent across the province over the last year.
In April, 206 people died of toxic drugs across B.C., which was an average of 6.9 deaths per day.
The average age of people dying from toxic drugs in B.C. is 44, and about 77 per cent are males from 30 to 59 years old.
Last year, 29 people died in Richmond from toxic drugs.
The majority died in indoor settings, either in private homes or other residences.
There is no safe-injection site in Richmond where people could be supervised using drugs in the event of a poisoning.
However, Vancouver Coastal Health told the Richmond News earlier this year they plan to have more safe drug consumption services in Richmond, but not a standalone site.
They plan to reach out to people who use drugs to let them know how to access this service.
In the entire province, 2,314 people died in 2022.
