The provincial minister of mental health and addictions says she’s very encouraged to see overdose deaths going down for the first time since the crisis began in 2016. Judy Darcy issued the statement after the B-C Coroners Service reported 981 people died last year due to a poisoned, unregulated drug supply — down 36 per cent from 2018. Darcy says the province is more committed than ever to continue with strategies that have prevented thousands of deaths — including the distribution of naloxone and overdose prevention services. But she says there is still more work to do to help overdose survivors who are living with long-term health impacts as well as those who are seeking treatment for addiction.
