The BC Coroners Service has released statistics for the month of April 2025, reviewing the number of deaths caused by unregulated toxic drugs in the province.
It found that 165 people had died due to toxic illicit drugs this April, an average of more than 5 lives lost per day. It’s also the first time in the past 6 months of reporting where more than 160 people had died from an overdose in just one month.
As of the end of April, there had been 594 fatal overdoses in British Columbia. Of these, 77% involved men, while 68% had involved those between the ages of 30 and 59.
Northern Health and Interior Health had the highest death rates per capita, while 57% of all toxic drug deaths so far this year took place within either Fraser Health or Vancouver Coastal Health.
Terrace, Smithers and Quesnel were considered to have some of the highest overdose death rates in BC for a local health area, alongside Vancouver – Center North and Alberni/Clayoquot.
Fentanyl remains the drug discovered most often in the toxicology reports of the deceased, with its presence detected in 68% of cases, followed by methamphetamine in 51%, and cocaine in 48%.
47% of all toxic illicit drug deaths reported had occurred within a private residence, 32% inside a temporary accommodation, while 21% had taken place outdoors.
Of all cities in the province, Vancouver, Surrey and Greater Victoria recorded the highest numbers of deaths caused by unregulated toxic drugs.
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