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2mo ago

Toxic Drug Fatalities in British Columbia Rise to 165 in April After Six-Month Decline

April’s rise in deaths underscores the ongoing risk posed by fentanyl alongside stark regional disparities in overdose rates.

A man sits on a sidewalk on East Hastings Street in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside on Feb 7, 2019. More people fatally overdosed in British Columbia last year compared with 2017 despite efforts to combat the province's public health emergency, the coroner says.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
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Injection booths at the Cactus safe-injection site in Montreal in 2017. Supervised drug-use sites can reduce drug-related harms.
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Overview

  • In April 2025, British Columbia recorded 165 toxic drug deaths, reversing a six-month decline and pushing monthly fatalities back above 160.
  • Health authorities report fentanyl was implicated in roughly three-quarters of opioid toxicity deaths statewide, with smoking remaining the leading mode of consumption.
  • Vancouver Coastal and Fraser health regions accounted for 57% of BC’s overdose fatalities this year, while per-capita death rates were highest in Northern and Interior health areas.
  • Nationwide, 2024 saw 7,146 opioid-related deaths—a 17% year-over-year decrease—but the crisis persisted with an average of 20 deaths per day.
  • Indigenous communities, particularly women, continue to face disproportionate harm, fueling renewed political demands for a regulated safer drug supply and expanded treatment services.