By Canadian Press

Toxic drug deaths in B.C. down in May, June, coroner says

Jul 31, 2025 | 12:45 PM

VICTORIA — The number of deaths due to toxic drugs fell to below 150 people per month for May and June in British Columbia, a downward trend from the same months last year.

The BC Coroners Service says in a statement that the province recorded 145 deaths in May compared with 181 for the same month last year.

There were 147 overdose deaths in June, down from 185 the year before.

The BC Coroners Service and government have also started releasing the occupation of those who died, and the two most common jobs are trades, transport and equipment operation, as well as sales and service.

The statement says 69 per cent of the drug-toxicity deaths are adult men between the ages of 30 and 59, while 78 per cent of all deaths are male.

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The statistics show that the opioid fentanyl is the most common substance detected in those who died this year, followed by methamphetamine and cocaine.

“Forty-seven per cent of deaths reported occurred in a private residence, compared with 21 per cent outdoors,” the statement says.

Smoking continues to be the primary mode of consumption of unregulated toxic drugs, with 64 per cent of investigations indicating the person who died smoked their substances, the statement says

The highest toxic drugs death rate this year is in the Northern Health region with 44 deaths per 100,000 people, and the cities with the highest tolls are Vancouver, Surrey and Greater Victoria.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2025.

The Canadian Press