Article Figures & Tables
Tables
- Table 1:
Characteristics of people who died from illicit drug overdose in British Columbia, 2015–2017
Characteristic No. (%) of people
n = 1789Demographic characteristics Age group, yr ≤ 30 435 (24.3) 31–49 859 (48.0) ≥ 50 495 (27.7) Sex, male 1440 (80.5) Active prescription for Opioid for pain 149 (8.3) Benzodiazepine or Z-drug 235 (13.1) Antidepressant 272 (15.2) Antipsychotic 47 (2.6) Stimulant 36 (2.0) Gabapentin 155 (8.7) Antiepileptic 57 (3.2) Diagnoses in the past year Cardiovascular disease 98 (5.5) Respiratory disease 108 (6.0) Substance use disorder 599 (33.5) Alcohol use disorder 159 (8.9) Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or personality disorder* 223 (13) Depression, anxiety or adjustment disorder† 310 (17) - Table 2:
Prescription status* of medication relevant to death among illicit drug overdose deaths in British Columbia, 2015–2017
Prescription status No. (%) of deaths by substance class and prescription status
n = 1789Substance class–related deaths, % Any opioid relevant to death 1530 (85.5) 1530 (100) Only prescribed opioids 36 (2.0) 36 (2.4) Prescribed and nonprescribed opioids 120 (6.7) 120 (7.8) Only nonprescribed opioids 1374 (76.8) 1374 (89.8) Stimulants relevant to death 1263 (70.6) 1263 (100) Only prescribed stimulants < 5 (< 0.3) < 5 (< 0.4) Prescribed and nonprescribed stimulants 10 (0.6) 10 (0.8) Only nonprescribed stimulants 1251 (70.0) 1251 (99.0) Antidepressants relevant to death 122 (6.8) 122 (100) Only prescribed antidepressants 82 (4.6) 82 (67.2) Prescribed and nonprescribed antidepressants 13 (0.7) 13 (10.7) Only nonprescribed antidepressants 27 (1.5) 27 (22.1) Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs relevant to death 107 (6.0) 107 (100) Only prescribed benzodiazepines or Z-drugs 35 (2.0) 35 (32.7) Prescribed and nonprescribed benzodiazepines 5 (0.3) 5 (4.7) Only nonprescribed benzodiazepines or Z-drugs 67 (3.7) 67 (62.6) Antipsychotics relevant to death 46 (2.6) 46 (100) Only prescribed antipsychotics 38 (2.2) 38 (82.6) Prescribed and nonprescribed antipsychotics 0 0 Only nonprescribed antipsychotics 8 (0.4) 8 (17.4) Gabapentinoids relevant to death 29 (1.6) 29 (100) Only prescribed gabapentinoids 24 (1.3) 24 (82.8) Prescribed and nonprescribed gabapentinoids 0 0 Only nonprescribed gabapentinoids 5 (0.3) 5 (17.2) ↵* Active prescription within 60 days before overdose death.
- Table 3:
Presence of fentanyl or fentanyl analogues and heroin among cases of fatal illicit drug overdose in British Columbia, 2015–2017
Opioid class relevant to death No. (%) of cases Total among all illicit drug deaths
n = 1789Total among cases with ≥ 1 nonprescribed opioid
n = 1494Fentanyl or fentanyl analogue* 1174 (65.6) 1173 (78.5) Heroin 494 (27.6) 494 (33.1) No fentanyl analogue or heroin 409 (22.9) 115 (7.7) ↵* 3-Methylfentanyl, acetylfentanyl, carfentanil or furanylfentanyl.