The number of deaths from unregulated drugs in April in B.C. equates to about 5.5 people losing their life each day.
An update from the BC Coroners Service says preliminary reporting for that month shows 165 people died across the province from unregulated toxic drugs.
Before April, there were six consecutive months where fewer than 160 people died from the drug crisis, the province points out in a news release.
The majority of the deaths in April were men, accounting for 77 per cent. The age group most impacted was people between 30 and 59 – they accounted for 68 per cent of the deaths in the province.
“Consistent with reporting throughout the public-health emergency, fentanyl and its analogues continue to be the most common substance detected in expedited toxicological testing,” the news release says. “More than three-quarters of decedents who underwent expedited testing in 2025 were found to have fentanyl in their systems (68 per cent), followed by methamphetamine (51 per cent) and cocaine (48 per cent).”
Almost half of the reported deaths (47 per cent) occurred in private residences.
The highest number of deaths were in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health authorities.
The highest rate of death were reported in Norther Health (46 deaths per 100,000 individuals) and Interior Health (35 per 100,000 individuals).
The province says data in April’s report is preliminary and is subject to change as additional toxicological results are received and investigations conclude.
