A record for illicit drug overdose deaths in Kamloops and across B.C. last year.

In Kamloops, 48 people died from an overdose in 2018 compared to 38 a year earlier and 44 in 2016. From 2008 to 2015, there were no more than 10 overdose deaths in any of those years.

In B.C., meanwhile, 1,489 died in 2018 from an illicit drug overdose, and the BC Coroners Service says that number could rise once investigations conclude.

“To give you some perspective on that, that is significantly more deaths than suicides, motor-vehicle-related deaths and homicides combined. Illicit substances are killing more people,” chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says.

“Virtually everybody knows somebody or knows of somebody who has lost a friend, a family member or a colleague to illicit substance use.”

B.C.’s Deputy Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry says a recent life-expectancy report done in her office also shows a staggering trend.

“And for the first time in 30 years we have seen that decrease in this province, and that’s largely because of this preventable overdose crisis.”

Henry says the province is seeing a “levelling off” in the opioid crisis, but also says far too many people are still dying each month.

“We need to formalize our way of looking at this as a health issue rather than a criminal justice (issue). For offroads for police where they can take people into a health system instead of taking them to jail.”

Henry adds that there have still been no deaths at any supervised consumption site in B.C.