Drugs Now Number One Cause of Death In British Columbia After Being Decriminalized: Report6/21/2023
Credit to Clearbrook Treatment Centers
Article by Haddon Lockyer
Drug overdoses are now the number one cause of fatalities between ages 10 through 59 in British Columbia, according to the province's Public Safety and Solicitor General Ministry.
In just the first five months of this year, over 1,000 people in the Canadian province died from drug overdoses, which is an almost 3% increase from the deaths that occurred during the same period in 2022. This increase makes drug-related fatalities the highest cause of death in B.C. - and there isn't a particularly close second. Unregulated drug toxicity deaths are now higher than homicides, suicides, accidental deaths, and natural disease deaths combined. The Public Safety and Solicitor General Ministry's press release reads: "The updated reporting shows that 1,018 British Columbians were lost to unregulated drugs between January and May, a 2.9% increase over the number of deaths reported to the Coroners Service during the same time frame in 2022. The 176 total deaths in May represent a 19% decrease compared to the number of deaths reported in April (218), and equates to about 5.7 lives lost each day." The Coroner's Service also found that nine-out-of-ten drug fatalities were found with fentanyl in their systems.
Credit to Mission Harbor Behavioral Health
The news comes just months after British Columbia became the first Canadian province to decriminalize a slew of drugs, including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, morphine, and even fentanyl. In January, B.C.'s government pledged to "treat addiction as a health issue, not a criminal justice one,” in a tweet shared by the province's official "Government News" social media account.
The province has been heavily criticized for this decision, with these latest statistics reigniting the fire. Meanwhile, in the United States, certain areas are trying to follow in British Columbia's footsteps. In Washington, for example, the Seattle City Council voted not to enforce Washington state's new drug law. Even worse, in 2021, Oregon chose to decriminalize small amounts of cocaine, LSD, oxycodone, and an assortment of other drugs. Oregon continues to have some of the highest drug rates in the country. Have comments? Share them below. Recently, The Informed Youth announced our Insiders initiative. If you become an Insider, you'll get early access to some of our projects, a special "thank you" message from Haddon Lockyer, and more. Plus, you'll be supporting young conservatives. How cool is that? Find out more. The Informed Youth is America's newest conservative source for reliable and factual news, brought to you by the Nation's patriotic young people. Learn more about us by clicking here, and sign up for our mailing list below. If you would like to support our cause, click the Donate button below:
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