VANCOUVER -- The latest data suggest an average of more than five people have died each day this year in B.C. of an illicit drug overdose.

Information released by the Ministry of Public Safety and the B.C. Coroners Service outlined the first three months of 2021, during which nearly 500 people have died of suspected illicit drug overdose.

Of those, 158 deaths occurred last month, making it one of the most deadly Marches on record – tied with March 2018.

It's an increase of 41 per cent from the number of deaths in March 2020.

"Once again, we are reminded of the incredible toll that the toxic drug emergency is having on communities throughout our province," B.C.'s chief coroner, Lisa Lapointe, said in a statement Thursday.

It's the third month in a row where the average number of daily deaths has been greater than five. In March, this average was 5.1 deaths per day.

In a separate statement, B.C.'s minister of mental health and addictions called it a "heartbreaking loss."

Sheila Malcolmson thanked B.C.'s front-line workers, caregivers and others involved in responding to overdoses in the province, and noted the latest budget includes $500 million for mental health and well-being.

A record has been set this year. Previously, the highest death toll in the first three months of the year was set in 2017, when 401 deaths were recorded.

This year, 498 people died in the same period.

As with previous months, toxicity and variability are considered to be factors in the increase in overdoses.

Health officials, advocates and B.C. doctors have said the COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on supply in B.C. Some dealers previously relied on labs outside of Canada, and are now forced to turn to local manufacturers for their supply.

This means users are getting inconsistent doses. Additionally, more people are using alone due to physical distancing guidelines and worries about being infected with the novel coronavirus.

The same reasons are making some people hesitant to go to hospital.

"The illicit drug supply in British Columbia is volatile and unpredictable, and anyone using a substance from this unregulated market is vulnerable to serious injury or death," Lapointe said Thursday.

Carfentanil, a powerful analog of the opioid fentanyl, was found in the systems of 18 people who died in March, and 48 people in total from January to March. In 2020, carfentanil was found in 65 deaths over the entire year.

The presence of benzodiazepines has also increased significantly this year when compared to last, the coroners service says.

While Lapointe said there are no simple solutions to the drug crisis in B.C., she recommended evidence-based strategies like supervised consumption sites and drug-checking services.

Additionally, she said, prescription alternatives and accessible treatment and recovery options are "essential to reduce the death and suffering."

No deaths have been reported at supervised consumption or overdose prevention sites.

Malcolmson also mentioned B.C.'s pushback against punishments for personal possession in Canada.

"Stigma and criminalization are driving people to use alone," she said, in part. The province announced earlier this month it has formally asked Health Canada for an exemption to decriminalize some possession-related offences.

"And the pandemic is pushing people further into isolation… The effects of two public health emergencies have taken an immense toll," Malcolmson said.

Looking at the same period, January through March, B.C. saw 557 deaths attributed to COVID-19, or 59 more than of illicit drug overdose.

So far this year, nearly four-in-five people who have died of overdose were between the ages of 30 and 59. Eighty per cent are male.

Most people have died inside, with more than half of deaths in private residences, and many others in residences including social and supportive housing. Thirteen per cent of deaths were outside, including in vehicles, on sidewalks and at parks, among other locations.

The information released Thursday suggests the regions most impacted this year are the Northern and Vancouver Coastal health authorities.

Looking at death rates, Northern Health has seen 57 deaths per 100,000 individuals, and there have been 45 per 100,000 in Vancouver Coastal Health.

On a local level, the cities that have seen the highest number of deaths are Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria.