The toxic drug crisis in BC continues to take a heavy toll on our paramedics, including the Northwest region, which includes the Bulkley Valley and Lakes District.
According to year-end data from BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), medics in the region responded to 664 overdose calls in 2023, up from 588 the year prior (2022).
The full breakdown of overdose calls for the region last year looks like this:
- Terrace 383
- Smithers 94
- Prince Rupert 77
- Kitimat 53
- Burns Lake 31
- Houston 28
Like many communities in BC, overdose and drug poisoning calls have seen a steady climb since a public health emergency was called by the provincial government in 2016.
The yearly breakdown has seen a steady rise in Terrace over the last seven years.
- 2016 – 38
- 2017 – 39
- 2018 – 59
- 2019 – 98
- 2020 – 208
- 2021 – 259
- 2022 – 357
- 2023 – 383
Smithers on the other hand has bounced around during the same period as it pertains to overdose calls.
- 2016 – 30
- 2017 – 24
- 2018 – 41
- 2019 – 31
- 2020 – 52
- 2021 – 42
- 2022 – 59
- 2023 – 94
Furthermore, Northern Health saw a 23% spike in overdose calls in 2023.
Northern Health has seen an even sharper trajectory in the volume of overdose events.
- 2016 – 913
- 2017- 1,085
- 2018 – 1,232
- 2019 – 1,332
- 2020 – 2,077
- 2021 – 2,414
- 2022 – 2,838
- 2023 – 3,498
In 2023, BCEHS paramedics responded to 42,172 overdose/poisoning patient events for the year, an average of 116 calls a day.
The total number of responses to overdoses/poisonings represented an increase of 25% from the previous year.
The average monthly calls are more than 3,500 per month. BCEHS experienced 11 months with more than 3,000 overdose/poisoning calls in 2023.