Toxic drug deaths in B.C. continue on downward trend

A naloxone kit is displayed in Vancouver, B.C., on Nov. 13, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The BC Coroners Service says overdose deaths have been trending downward in the province, with 275 people dying in February and March due to the toxic drug supply.

The service says in a statement that March is the sixth consecutive month in which fewer than 160 people died due to unregulated drug toxicity.

It says preliminary figures show 143 people died in March, down more than 33 per cent year over year, while 132 people died in February, a decline of 35 per cent compared to the same month last year.

The service says smoking remains the most common way to consume toxic drugs, with investigations indicating more than six in 10 of those who died smoked their substances.

Vancouver recorded the most deaths in the first quarter of 2025 with 97, followed by 52 in Surrey and 28 in Victoria.

The coroners service says people between 30 and 59-years old accounted for 67 per cent of drug-toxicity deaths in the first three months of 2025, and 76 per cent were male.

It says toxicological testing shows fentanyl and related substances remain the most common in drug toxicity deaths, with more than three-quarters of victims testing positive for fentanyl in their systems

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025