The BC Coroners Service says the number of children dying from the toxic drug crisis is rising and that fentanyl is largely to blame.
The coroners service detailed the dramatic increase in a new report released on Tuesday , in it emphasizing that fentanyl was detected in 83 per cent of those 126 deaths. The introduction of the toxic synthetic opioid into the unregulated market has been “one of the main drivers” of the worsening crisis, the service said.
Hydromorphone, a prescribed pain killer and safer supply option in B.C., was also found in 13 per cent of deaths. The coroners service noted that in the majority of those cases, the hydromorphone was unlikely to have contributed significantly to the child’s death and that it was never the sole substance consumed.
Contrary to stereotypes about drug use, the vast majority of deaths did not occur outside or on the street. Of the 126 kids who died, 92 passed away inside private residences, 15 died inside other residences – such as recovery homes, hotels or shelters –, 14 died outdoors and five died in other locations.