Government

Quick access to information based on government's structure

Ministry of Health
TABLE 45
STANDARDIZED MORTALITY RATIO
BY LOCAL HEALTH AREA
DRUG-INDUCED DEATHS
BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1993-1997 AND 1998

  1993 - 1997 1998
  Observed     Observed Expected     95% Confidence Interval
Local Health Area Deaths SMR (p) Deaths Deaths SMR (p) Lower   Upper
001 Fernie 1 0.10 + - 2.17 -   - - -
002 Cranbrook 10 0.67   2 3.26 0.61   0.07 - 2.21
003 Kimberley 2 0.36   1 1.18 0.85   0.01 - 4.73
004 Windermere 2 0.39   - 1.19 -   - - -
005 Creston 6 0.86   2 1.50 1.33   0.15 - 4.80
006/007 Kootenay Lake/Nelson 9 0.52 * 2 3.77 0.53   0.06 - 1.92
009 Castlegar 3 0.37   3 1.76 1.70   0.34 - 4.97
010 Arrow Lakes 1 0.32   - 0.69 -   - - -
011 Trail 7 0.54   3 2.67 1.12   0.23 - 3.28
012/013 Grand Forks/Kettle Valley 5 0.66   2 1.64 1.22   0.14 - 4.40
014 Southern Okanagan 3 0.31 + 2 2.14 0.93   0.10 - 3.37
015 Penticton 13 0.56 * 3 4.85 0.62   0.12 - 1.81
016 Keremeos 1 0.39   - 0.57 -   - - -
017 Princeton 4 1.30   - 0.67 -   - - -
018 Golden - -   - 1.06 -   - - -
019 Revelstoke 2 0.35   - 1.18 -   - - -
020 Salmon Arm 10 0.58   2 3.97 0.50   0.06 - 1.82
021 Armstrong-Spallumcheen 1 0.18   - 1.24 -   - - -
022 Vernon 29 0.87   8 7.25 1.10   0.48 - 2.18
023 Central Okanagan 39 0.47 * 9 18.75 0.48 * 0.22 - 0.91
024 Kamloops 71 1.18   16 13.45 1.19   0.68 - 1.93
025 100 Mile House 9 1.01   4 2.06 1.95   0.52 - 4.98
026 North Thompson 2 0.64   - 0.69 -   - - -
027 Cariboo-Chilcotin 8 0.47 * - 3.78 -   - - -
028 Quesnel 7 0.45 * 1 3.52 0.28   0.00 - 1.58
029 Lillooet 3 1.00   - 0.63 -   - - -
030 South Cariboo 1 0.22   1 0.97 1.03   0.01 - 5.71
031 Merritt 12 1.76   2 1.50 1.34   0.15 - 4.82
032 Hope 6 1.23   2 1.03 1.94   0.22 - 7.00
033 Chilliwack 39 1.00   11 8.56 1.28   0.64 - 2.30
034 Abbotsford 45 0.71 * 10 13.95 0.72   0.34 - 1.32
035 Langley 36 0.56 * 6 14.38 0.42 * 0.15 - 0.91
036 Surrey 165 0.82 * 45 45.01 1.00   0.73 - 1.34
037 Delta 30 0.49 * 5 13.03 0.38 * 0.12 - 0.90
038 Richmond 50 0.53 * 11 21.70 0.51 * 0.25 - 0.91
040 New Westminster 87 2.44 * 7 7.96 0.88   0.35 - 1.81
041 Burnaby 108 0.90   21 26.09 0.80   0.50 - 1.23
042 Maple Ridge 23 0.51 * 5 9.94 0.50   0.16 - 1.17
043 Coquitlam 64 0.57 * 13 25.34 0.51 * 0.27 - 0.88
044 North Vancouver 55 0.66 * 15 17.71 0.85   0.47 - 1.40
045 West Vancouver-Bowen Is. 25 0.89   2 6.01 0.33   0.04 - 1.20
046 Sunshine Coast 12 0.79   1 3.42 0.29   0.00 - 1.63
047 Powell River 10 0.82   5 2.63 1.90   0.61 - 4.43
048 Howe Sound 7 0.38 * 3 4.52 0.66   0.13 - 1.94
049 Bella Coola Valley 1 0.52   - 0.44 -   - - -
050 Queen Charlotte 3 0.78   - 0.80 -   - - -
051 Snow Country 2 2.98   - 0.11 -   - - -
052 Prince Rupert 20 1.64   2 2.48 0.80   0.09 - 2.91
053 Upper Skeena 3 0.88   1 0.75 1.33   0.02 - 7.40
054 Smithers 1 0.09 + - 2.48 -   - - -
055/093 Burns Lake/Eutsuk 5 1.13   - 0.96 -   - - -
056 Nechako 3 0.29 + 1 2.31 0.43   0.01 - 2.41
057 Prince George 48 0.74 * 9 14.16 0.64   0.29 - 1.21
059 Peace River South 4 0.22 + 2 3.78 0.53   0.06 - 1.91
060 Peace River North 8 0.46 * 3 3.82 0.79   0.16 - 2.30
061 Greater Victoria 181 1.37 * 41 27.73 1.48 * 1.06 - 2.01
062 Sooke 20 0.61 * 4 7.15 0.56   0.15 - 1.43
063 Saanich 13 0.38 * 5 7.54 0.66   0.21 - 1.55
064 Gulf Islands 3 0.39   - 1.75 -   - - -
065 Cowichan 15 0.50 * 4 6.59 0.61   0.16 - 1.55
066 Lake Cowichan 2 0.53   1 0.83 1.20   0.02 - 6.70
067 Ladysmith 13 1.39   - 2.02 -   - - -
068 Nanaimo 63 1.17   13 11.86 1.10   0.58 - 1.87
069 Qualicum 16 0.77   2 4.80 0.42   0.05 - 1.50
070 Alberni 22 1.11   4 4.21 0.95   0.26 - 2.43
071 Courtenay 33 0.98   7 7.55 0.93   0.37 - 1.91
072/084 Campbell River/V.I. West 30 1.08   8 6.11 1.31   0.56 - 2.58
075 Mission 22 1.00   8 4.80 1.67   0.72 - 3.28
076 Agassiz-Harrison 5 1.03   1 1.12 0.89   0.01 - 4.95
077 Summerland 3 0.47   2 1.35 1.49   0.17 - 5.36
078 Enderby 3 0.73   2 0.93 2.14   0.24 - 7.74
080 Kitimat 2 0.25 + 3 1.69 1.77   0.36 - 5.18
081 Fort Nelson 2 0.51   - 0.89 -   - - -
083 Central Coast 2 1.77   - 0.26 -   - - -
085 Vancouver Island North 9 0.91   2 2.09 0.96   0.11 - 3.45
087/094 Stikine/Telegraph Creek - -   - 0.26 -   - - -
088 Terrace 6 0.43 * 2 3.06 0.65   0.07 - 2.36
092 Nishga 2 1.75   - 0.26 -   - - -
161 Vancouver City Centre 171 2.55 * 29 16.03 1.81 * 1.21 - 2.60
162 Vancouver Downtown E. Side 331 8.68 * 76 8.71 8.72 * 6.87 - 10.92
163 Vancouver North East 77 1.32 * 20 12.61 1.59   0.97 - 2.45
164 Vancouver West Side 41 0.52 * 10 17.11 0.58   0.28 - 1.08
165 Vancouver Midtown 97 1.69 * 18 12.52 1.44   0.85 - 2.27
166 South Vancouver 68 0.93   16 15.67 1.02   0.58 - 1.66
039 VANCOUVER TOTAL 804 2.15 * 177 82.65 2.14 * 1.84 - 2.48
  N.S. 10 -   - - -   - - -
  PROVINCIAL TOTAL 2,402 -   529 - -   - - -

Note: * Statistical testing indicates that observed deaths are significantly different from the expected deaths (p<0.05, two tailed).
+ Denotes significance based on less than five deaths.
LHA 039 Vancouver Total may include unspecified Vancouver addresses.
N.S. - Not Stated. Non-residents are excluded.

FIGURE 27
STANDARDIZED MORTALITY RATIO
BY LOCAL HEALTH AREA
DRUG-INDUCED DEATHS
BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1993-1997

DRUG-INDUCED DEATHS

Note: SMR - Standardized Mortality Ratio. Refer to Figure 1 to clarify geographical location of Local Health Areas.

HIGHLIGHTS TO TABLE 45/FIGURE 27
  • In 1998, there were only three Local Health Areas (LHAs) with statistically significant and high Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) for drug-induced deaths. These three LHAs and their SMRs for drug-induced deaths in 1998 (number of drug-induced deaths in parentheses) were:

    162Vancouver Downtown E. Side8.72(76)
    161Vancouver City Centre1.81(29)
    061Greater Victoria1.48(41)

  • Vancouver Downtown East Side, Vancouver City Centre, and Greater Victoria LHAs also had statistically significant and high SMRs in the five-year period from 1993 to 1997.

  • In 1998, 22 LHAs had no drug-induced deaths and there were five LHAs with statistically significant and low SMRs (based on 5 or more deaths). These five LHAs and their SMRs for drug induced deaths in 1998 (number of drug-induced deaths in parentheses) were:

    037Delta0.38(5)
    035Langley0.42(6)
    023Central Okanagan0.48(9)
    038Richmond0.51(11)
    043Coquitlam0.51(13)

  • There were six LHAs with statistically significant and high SMRs in the 1993-1997 period. The six LHAs and their SMRs (number of drug-induced deaths in parentheses) were:

    162Vancouver Downtown E. Side8.68(331)
    161Vancouver City Centre2.55(171)
    040New Westminster2.44(87)
    165Vancouver Midtown1.69(97)
    061Greater Victoria1.37(181)
    163Vancouver North East1.32(77)

  • In the 1993-1997 period, 21 LHAs had statistically significant and low SMRs (based on 5 or more drug-related deaths). The LHAs with the five lowest SMRs (number of drug-induced deaths in parentheses) were:

    048Howe Sound0.38(7)
    063Saanich0.38(13)
    088Terrace0.43(6)
    028Quesnel0.45(7)
    060Peace River North0.46(8)

  • Two LHAs had no drug-induced deaths in the 1993-1997 period. These were Golden and Stikine/Telegraph Creek. They also had no drug-induced deaths in 1998.