Drug overdoses in British Columbia last month killed more people there than COVID-19 has all year

A total of 170 people died of drug overdoses in British Columbia, Canada, in May, over three times as many as died from COVID-19 that month and more than have died from the disease there over the course of the entire pandemic. 

A total of 167 people have died from the coronavirus in the Canadian province since March. Overdose deaths have outstripped COVID-19 deaths every month during the pandemic. 

The vast majority of overdose deaths last month involved fentanyl, authorities said. That's a highly potent synthetic opioid often used to treat severe pain but which is easily addictive and extremely lethal at low doses. Two milligrams of the drug are enough to kill most people. 

Responding to the coronavirus pandemic, the British Columbian government in March shut down restaurants, bars, salons, tattoo parlors and other gathering places, and also banned groups larger than 50 people. In recent weeks it has begun easing many of those restrictions. 

There were 77 drug overdose deaths in the province in January, meaning last month's numbers represent a 120% increase. May's number of overdoses were the most for one month in British Columbia's history.