Fraser Valley/Vancouver – In 2022, BCEHS paramedics responded to a total of 33,654 overdose/poisoning patient events for the year, an average of 92 calls a day.
This represented a decrease of 5% from the previous year. The average monthly calls are more than 2,800 per month. BCEHS saw two months with more than 3,000 overdose/poisoning calls in 2022, and on Jan. 19, 2022, a new daily record was set with BCEHS receiving 203 overdose/poisoning calls that day.
Ironically this is coming while 2023 started with OD alerts about carfentanyl and a new substance called “grey fentanyl” or “death”. This substance makes it tougher for paramedics to being back an overdose victim with 3 to 4 shots of naloxone.
To see the number of calls broken down by year, from 2016 to 2022, see Overdose Response in B.C. Communities (PDF).
Abbotsford: 1,641
Agassiz: 34
Chilliwack: 715
The Top 5 communities for overdose/poisoning calls in 2022 are below, with the percentage increase over 2021:
- Vancouver: 7,827 -22%
- Surrey: 2,864 -22%
- Victoria: 2,037 +4%
- Kelowna: 1,824 +15%
- Abbotsford: 1,641 +20%
