The latest statistics released by the BC Coroners Service on May 14 show a marked drop in unregulated drug deaths in the Kootenay Boundary during the first quarter of 2025.
So far this year, four deaths have been reported, all of them in February.
That compares to 11 deaths during the same period in 2024: four in January, four in February, and three in March.
While the decline is notable, officials caution it is too soon to say whether the decrease marks a sustained trend.
Kootenay Boundary recorded 36 deaths over all of 2024.
Of note, data for individual Local Health Areas such as Trail, Castlegar, and Nelson has not yet been released for 2025, according to the BC Coroners Service.
Elsewhere in Interior Health, the East Kootenay has recorded three deaths in the first quarter of 2025 — two in February and one in March.
That’s slightly down from four deaths in the same period last year: two in January, one in February, and one in March.
In the Okanagan, 49 deaths have been recorded so far in 2025.
That compares to an estimated 40 deaths between January and March 2024, based on BC Coroners Service regional summaries and city-level data from Kelowna, Vernon, and Penticton.
This year-over-year increase suggests continued risk in the region despite decreases elsewhere.
Overall, Interior Health reported 78 deaths, including 22 in the Kamloops area, from unregulated drug toxicity between January and March 2025.
Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health authorities continue to report the highest numbers, with 141 and 114 deaths respectively in 2025 to date.
Breaking that down by city, Vancouver has recorded the highest number of drug deaths so far, with 97. Surrey has reported 52, and Greater Victoria follows with 28.
Combined, they represent 60 per cent of all unregulated drug deaths in B.C. this year.
Province-wide, 152 people died in January 2025 due to unregulated drug toxicity, followed by 132 in February and 143 in March.
That brings B.C.’s total for the first quarter of the year to 427 deaths.
In January alone, the province averaged nearly five deaths per day, down from about seven per day in January 2024, when 218 deaths were reported.
February saw 132 deaths in 2025, compared to 174 in February 2024. In March, there were 143 deaths this year, down from 186 during the same month last year.
Each of the first three months of 2025 has shown a decrease in unregulated drug deaths compared to the same period in 2024.
Men accounted for 76 per cent of those who died in 2025 so far, and 67 per cent were between the ages of 30 and 59.
According to the BC Coroners Service’s latest report, fentanyl remains the most commonly detected substance in expedited toxicology results.
It was found in 70 per cent of cases. Methamphetamine was detected in 50 per cent of tests, and fluorofentanyl (synthetic opioid) in 47 per cent.
Private residences remain the most common setting for fatal overdoses, accounting for 45 per cent of deaths.
Twenty per cent occurred outdoors.
In 62 per cent of investigations, individuals had smoked their substances, the most common method of consumption.
The BC Coroners Service stresses that all 2025 data is preliminary and may change as further investigations and toxicology analyses are completed.
