CANADA, May 14 - According to preliminary data, 132 people in February and 143 people in March 2025 died due to unregulated drug toxicity, as reported by the BC Coroners Service.
In the first three months of 2025, deaths among those between the ages of 30 and 59 accounted for 67% of drug-toxicity deaths in the province, and 76% were male.
March marks the sixth consecutive month in which the number of deaths reported to the BC Coroners Service attributed to unregulated drug toxicity was below 160.
By health authority in 2025, the highest number of unregulated drug deaths were in Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health authorities (141 and 114 deaths, respectively), making up 60% of all such deaths during 2025.
Consistent with reporting throughout the public-health emergency, fentanyl and its analogues continue to be the most common substance detected in expedited toxicological testing. More than three-quarters of decedents who underwent expedited testing in 2025 were found to have fentanyl in their systems (70%), followed by methamphetamine (50%) and fluorofentanyl (47%).
It is important to note that data from the report is preliminary and subject to change as additional toxicological results are received and investigations conclude.
Additional key findings in 2025 include:
- the number of unregulated drug deaths in February and March equates to approximately 4.7 and 4.6 deaths per day;
- the cities experiencing the highest number of unregulated drug deaths so far in 2025 are Vancouver (97), Surrey (52) and Greater Victoria (28);
- the highest rates of deaths reported were in the Interior and Northern Health (35 per 100,000);
- 45% of deaths reported occurred in a private residence, compared with 20% outdoors; and
- smoking continues to be the primary mode of consumption of unregulated toxic drugs, with 62% of investigations indicating the decedent smoked their substances.
Learn More:
February and March 2025 drug-toxicity deaths: https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNjhiYjgxYzUtYjIyOC00ZGQ2LThhMzEtOWU5Y2Q4YWI0OTc5IiwidCI6IjZmZGI1MjAwLTNkMGQtNGE4YS1iMDM2LWQzNjg1ZTM1OWFkYyJ9
Youth unregulated drug-toxicity deaths, 2019-23: youth_unregulated_drug_toxicity_deaths_in_bc_2019-2023.pdf (gov.bc.ca)
BC Coroners Service Death Review Panel: An Urgent Response to a Continuing Crisis: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/birth-adoption-death-marriage-and-divorce/deaths/coroners-service/death-review-panel/an_urgent_response_to_a_continuing_crisis_report.pdf
BC Ministry of Health mental-health and substance-use supports: https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/
BC Centre on Substance Use: https://www.bccsu.ca
