126 children and youth died of toxic drugs in 5 years: B.C. coroner

The B.C. Coroners Service has found that 126 children and youth younger than 19 died due to toxic drugs between 2019 and 2023.

The numbers, released in a Tuesday report, showed that unregulated drug toxicity was the most common cause of unnatural death among youth during that time period.

More than 70 per cent of deaths occurred in private residences, according to the coroners service, and more than half of the youth who died were using drugs alone.

The stark numbers — eight years into a public health emergency that claims around six lives daily — show the need for more harm reduction, education and mental health support services tailored to youth, according to one researcher.

“We need to do better, we need to address this unacceptable loss of life among these young people who died far too soon,” said Danya Fast, a research scientist with the B.C. Centre on Substance Use who has worked with youth since 2007.

The numbers show that the death rate among youth between 2019 and 2023 was much higher than the previous five-year period, working out to around 25 deaths per year among those under the age of 19.

Fast says this could be due to the feelings of isolation and loneliness among youth that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They were already experiencing a lot of isolation,” she said. “COVID deepened that.

“And when young people are using drugs in the context of greater isolation, that’s when we have a very dangerous situation on our hands.”

Mental health supports needed: B.C. Green Party Leader

The coroners service says the potent opioid fentanyl, or its analogs, were detected in 104 of the 126 toxic drug deaths in children and youth younger than 19 between 2019 and 2023.

Around half of the youth who died were female, according to the coroners service, in contrast to the general population where about eight in every 10 people killed by toxic drugs is male.

The most deaths were recorded in the Fraser Health and Island Health regions, with 40 and 35 deaths recorded respectively.

In a statement, B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau pointed to the fact that there is only one drug-checking site, located in Victoria, to service all of Vancouver Island — and asked B.C.’s New Democrat government to expand drug-checking services all over the province in the midst of the toxic drug crisis.

“We also need to address root causes such as anxiety, depression, and social challenges that can drive young people to substance use,” Furstenau said.

“There’s a lack of support, particularly mental health care, in schools — we must fill these gaps and make mental health professionals accessible in schools provincewide.”

The coroners service also found that two-thirds of youth who died from toxic drugs had interacted with services offered by B.C.’s Ministry of Children and Family Development, and two-thirds had a mental health diagnosis or evidence of a mental health disorder.

Fast says this shows a need for a continuum of care for youth who use drugs, particularly for those who experience residential and family instability.

“I believe we need to do this in places where we draw young people in by providing things that align with their needs, priorities and desires,” she said.

Fast added that parents should be having open and honest conversations with their children about drug use.

In a statement, Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside said the government is working to build a “fully connected system” of mental health and addictions supports.

“This includes increased treatment options for youth, as well as opening Foundry centres across the province to provide free and confidential counselling, primary-care, sexual-health and substance-use services to young people aged 12-24 and their families,” she wrote.

“We’ve also launched crisis teams specifically for youth with mental health and addiction challenges to improve care and discharge planning.”

The ministry says the government is also running an education campaign on transit and social media to warn of the dangers of toxic drugs, and to encourage parents to reach out to their children about drug use.