While the numbers released by the BC Coroners Service seem to suggest we’re getting better at preventing deaths from illicit drug overdoses, another set of numbers hints at just how far we have to go to address addiction.

In the first eight months of this year, paramedics in Kamloops responded to 421 overdose calls  – or about 52 a month – according to BC Emergency Health Services.

During that same period, the Coroners say there were 24 deaths in the city due to an illicit drug overdose. That is three deaths a month, which is down from four per month in 2018.

Provincewide, there were 17,048 ‘poisoning’ calls between January and August of 2018 – most of which were overdoses, with 690 overdose deaths.

The high disparity in numbers suggests that we’re getting better at preventing death – though the number of overdose calls to first responders remains high.

In a recent interview, BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson suggested what’s missing from the government strategy – is treatment.

“Harm reduction is simply a way to keep people healthy enough so that they can develop options,” he told NL. “It is not a permanent state of affairs.”

Still, Coroners spokesperson Andy Watson says things like supervised consumption or safe injection sites also serve as a point of contact with health professionals.

“The more points and contacts you have with people that understand what it is that you are dealing with, the better off and better opportunity you have to turn a corner,” Watson said.

He also told NL the Coroners are ‘cautiously optimistic’ after another drop in overdose deaths in Kamloops and B.C. from record levels in 2017 and 2018.