Fentanyl-Detected Illicit Drug Overdose Deaths

Fentanyl-Detected Illicit Drug Overdose Deaths

January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2018 Inclusion Criteria: This report summarizes all deaths that occurred between January 1, 2012 and March 31, 2018 for which fentanyl or its analogues were detected, whether alone or in combination with other drugs, and the death resulted from illicit drug use[1]. In the majority of deaths, fentanyl or its analogues[2] were detected in combination with other drugs. Deaths were excluded if the fentanyl was known to be prescribed or the death was suspected to be due to intentional self-harm. This data has been compiled to better understand overall illicit drug overdose trends in British Columbia and to inform other agencies’ public safety strategies in a timely manner.[1] Please see the BC Coroners Service website for a summary of illicit drug overdose deaths: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/public-safety/death-investigation/statisticalreports. Note that fentanyl-detected data is subject to change as further analogue testing becomes available. Summary: 

There were 129 illicit drug overdose deaths with fentanyl detected in March 2018. This is a 10% increase over the number of deaths occurring in March 2017 (117) and a 57% increase over the number of deaths occurring in February 2018 (82).

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Fentanyl or its analogues were detected in approximately 83% of illicit drug overdose deaths in 2018 and 84% of illicit drug overdose deaths in 2017.

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Carfentanil has been detected in 81 suspected illicit drug overdose deaths in June 2017-Mar 2018. Note this is subject to change as further toxicology results are received.

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Approximately 26% of those dying in Jan-Mar 2018 were aged 30 to 39, with 92% between 19 and 59. Males accounted for 82% of all deaths during this period.

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Fraser Health Authority had the highest number (98) of illicit drug overdose deaths with fentanyl detected in Jan-Mar 2018, followed by Vancouver Coastal Health (94) and Vancouver Island Health Authority (63).[3],[4]

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The Health Service Delivery Areas with the most fentanyl-detected illicit drug overdose deaths in Jan-Mar 2018 were Vancouver HSDA (86), Fraser South HSDA (57), and South Vancouver Island HSDA (37). When looking at individual townships over the same time period, the highest numbers of deaths were seen in Vancouver, Surrey, and Victoria. [3],[4]

Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Office of the Chief Coroner Metrotower II, Suite 800 4720 Kingsway, Burnaby BC V5H 4N2 Phone: 604 660-7745 Fax: 604 660-7766

Posting Date May 10, 2018

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BC Coroners Service Fentanyl-Detected Apparent Illicit Drug Overdose Deaths, 2012-2018

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Preliminary data for 2018 suggest that the proportion of apparent illicit drug overdose deaths with fentanyl detected (alone or in combination with other drugs) is approximately 83%. Proportions from 2012 to 2018 are as follows: o 2012 = 4% o 2013 = 15% o 2014 = 25% o 2015 = 29% o 2016 = 67% o 2017 = 84% o 2018 = 83%

100%

80%

60%

40%

84%

83%

2017

2018

67% 20% 15% 0%

25%

29%

2014

2015

4% 2012

2013

fentanyl detected

2016

no fentanyl detected

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Fentanyl-Detected Deaths by Month, 2012-2018[3] Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Total

2012 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 4 3 12

2013 5 3 6 8 3 2 1 4 2 4 6 6 50

2014 5 5 9 8 8 6 3 8 9 13 6 11 91

2015 20 8 8 12 8 11 14 15 15 16 12 13 152

2016 46 29 48 48 37 42 41 38 43 53 111 131 667

2017 107 106 117 130 112 104 107 105 76 78 90 78 1,210

2018 112 82 129 323

Fentanyl-Detected Deaths by Sex, 2012-2018[3] Sex Female Male Total

2012 2 10 12

2013 9 41 50

2014 21 70 91

2015 26 126 152

2016 127 540 667

2017 211 999 1,210

2018 57 266 323

Fentanyl-Detected Deaths by Age Group, 2012-2018[3] Age Group 10-18 19-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+ Total

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

0 3 2 6 1 0 12

1 19 10 13 5 2 50

0 28 33 19 7 4 91

2 43 45 29 24 9 152

12 154 196 153 121 31 667

15 239 351 275 244 86 1,210

4 76 85 70 66 22 323

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Fentanyl-Detected Deaths by Health Authority of Injury, 2012-2018[3],[5] HA Interior Fraser Vancouver Coastal Vancouver Island Northern Total

2012 2 7 1 1 1 12

2013 3 16 10 14 7 50

2014 9 29 26 17 10 91

2015 21 57 40 22 12 152

2016 117 208 183 123 36 667

2017 208 388 357 206 51 1,210

2018 48 98 94 63 20 323

Fentanyl-Detected Deaths by Health Service Delivery Area of Injury, 2012-2018[3],[5] HSDA East Kootenay Kootenay Boundary Okanagan Thompson Cariboo Shuswap Fraser East Fraser North Fraser South Richmond Vancouver North Shore/Coast Garibaldi South Vancouver Island Central Vancouver Island North Vancouver Island Northwest Northern Interior Northeast Total

2012 0 0 2 0 1 1 5 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 12

2013 1 0 1 1 3 6 7 0 5 5 3 10 1 1 3 3 50

2014 2 1 4 2 1 15 13 0 22 4 2 13 2 0 4 6 91

2015 1 2 14 4 10 28 19 3 32 5 9 10 3 1 7 4 152

2016 6 4 61 46 37 71 100 13 153 17 60 46 17 7 14 15 667

2017 4 15 134 55 85 110 193 24 298 35 94 80 32 6 30 15 1,210

2018 0 4 26 18 13 28 57 3 86 5 37 20 6 1 15 4 323

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Fentanyl-Detected Deaths by Month of Death and Health Authority of Injury, 20172018[3],[5] Year

HA

2017

January February March April May June July August September October November December January February March

2018

Interior

Fraser

12 18 17 18 20 20 26 25 11 14 15 12 17 19 12 256

34 30 40 38 42 29 35 31 25 29 36 19 30 29 39 486

Total

Vancouver Coastal 43 30 31 51 31 29 25 25 23 17 26 26 33 18 43 451

Vancouver Island 17 23 23 18 12 23 17 17 14 17 10 15 27 12 24 269

Northern

Total

1 5 6 5 7 3 4 7 3 1 3 6 5 4 11 71

107 106 117 130 112 104 107 105 76 78 90 78 112 82 129 1533

Fentanyl-Detected Deaths by Top Townships of Injury, 2012-2018[3],[5] Township Vancouver Surrey Victoria Prince George Kamloops Kelowna Burnaby Langley Nanaimo Abbotsford Maple Ridge Coquitlam Chilliwack New Westminster Penticton Other Township Total *sorted by 2018 data

2012 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 12

2013 5 4 3 3 1 0 3 1 8 1 3 0 0 0 1 17 50

2014 22 8 2 4 2 1 0 5 12 1 7 4 0 0 0 23 91

2015 32 11 8 6 3 6 6 6 9 6 12 4 2 3 0 38 152

2016 153 73 53 13 31 38 27 19 27 22 20 8 8 8 4 163 667

2017 298 144 82 20 31 68 35 32 43 41 26 21 19 16 11 323 1,210

2018 86 43 28 13 11 9 9 9 8 6 6 6 5 5 5 74 323

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Notes: 1. The BCCS operates in a live database environment. Some data for more recent years are based on preliminary circumstances and are subject to change as investigations are concluded. Data are not directly comparable to published counts from previous years. 2.

Toxicology testing includes acetylfentanyl as of November 2015. Standard testing for carfentanil, 3-methylfentanyl, furanylfentanyl, and W-18 began in June 1, 2017. Fentanyldetected data is derived from testing conducted by the BC Coroners Service.

3. Data for 2018 include cases from January 1 to March 31, 2018. 4. Data are based on location of injury. 5. Death township was used in 9 cases where injury township was unknown. 6. More information about the health regions can be found at http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/data/geographic-data-services/land-use/administrativeboundaries/health-boundaries

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