Richmond has the lowest death rate for illicit drug overdose deaths in B.C. and has largely escaped the healthcare crisis happening in Downtown Vancouver and other jurisdictions across the province.
Richmond’s Medical Health Officer, Meena Dawar, notes that despite the low death rate this year, to date, it is still two times greater than it was last year, according to data provided by the BC Coroners Service this week.
“While we are reassured that the impact of opioid overdoses remains low in Richmond compared to the rest of the province, it is important to note that Richmond residents are not immune to the current crisis. This year, 10 Richmond residents have lost their lives prematurely due to overdoses,” said Dawar,” via email.
“There has also been a 60 per cent increase in the number of residents presenting to Richmond Hospital due to opioid overdoses as compared to last year,” added Dawar.
Richmond, isolated as its own health service delivery area, has an overdose death rate of 5.2 per 100,000 residents. The next highest rate is 7.3, found on the North Shore, then 8.2 in the Kootenays. Vancouver’s rate is 26.5, followed by Thompson Cariboo at 23.7.
The provincial death rate this year is 17.4, whereas it was 4.7 in 2007 (a year in which there were no drug overdose deaths in Richmond). The drug fentanyl is largely to blame for the spike in deaths.
When asked why Richmond is experiencing an anomalous overdose death rate for illicit drugs, Dawar did not say specifically. However, she did indicate that illicit drug use has been historically low in Richmond.
“The residents of Richmond enjoy excellent quality of life and are among the healthiest in BC with high life expectancy, low rates of chronic diseases, and low rates of addictions (to tobacco, alcohol and substance use). The current statistics reflect a pattern that is long standing as noted in the provincial 2014 Drug Use Epidemiology Report,” said Dawar.
According to that report, Richmond had the lowest rate of illicit-drug attributable hospitalizations.
In 2011 alcohol sales in Richmond, as a jurisdiction, were the lowest out of any other in B.C.
Richmond also has the lowest prevalence of cannabis use and the lowest rate of hospitalization due to tobacco use.
Take home kits of naloxone (a drug that reverses an opioid overdose) are available on a drop-in basis at the Anne Vogel Clinic (Unit 100 – 8160 Cook Road).
