BC Gov News

The illicit drug overdose crisis has taken over 2,000 lives in British Columbia since January 2016, and the province is likely to surpass the 1,500 mark for deaths in 2017 alone. 

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Nov. 25, reminds governments and individuals alike that we have important work to do to advance the safety of vulnerable women – in their homes, on the street and in their daily lives.

The stories of people taken by the overdose crisis come from every corner of the province. A forestry worker in the North who became addicted to painkillers for a workplace injury and then turned to street drugs. Friends celebrating after a wedding in the Interior. Suburban parents who left behind young children. Middle-aged men who were clean and sober for years.