VANCOUVER — The latest figures from the BC Coroners Service show 128 people died of illicit-drug overdoses in September, an eight per cent increase from the previous month.
The latest monthly figure also shows a marked increase in fatalities from a year ago, when 93 people overdosed in the province.
The service says men have accounted for 80 per cent of the 1,143 deaths so far this year, with the opioid fentanyl accounting for the vast majority of them.
Cocaine and methamphetamine also figured prominently in the number of illicit-drug deaths since 2016.
Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria have experienced the highest number of deaths this year.
Vancouver city council has voted to support newly elected Mayor Kennedy Stewart in appointing an opioid emergency task force to review the factors driving opioid dependency and to advise council on possible interventions.
