B.C. drug deaths hit lowest level since before pandemic, down 55% since 2023 peak

A used naloxone kit is seen on the sidewalk as paramedics respond to a drug overdose in downtown Vancouver on June 23, 2021. (Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press)

VICTORIA — British Columbia has recorded its lowest monthly number of suspected toxic drug deaths since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, falling by more than half since their peak.

The Ministry of Public Safety’s preliminary data shows that 109 people died in B.C. in May due to suspected unregulated drug toxicity, which is about 3.5 deaths each day.

That is the lowest level seen since February 2020, when 79 deaths were reported, and is down by about 55 per cent compared to the 242 deaths recorded in December 2023.

B.C. declared a public health emergency over the overdose crisis a decade ago, with the number of deaths peaking at more than 2,500 in 2023.

The number has dropped steadily since then, with the ministry saying the death rate among people between the ages of 19 and 59 has fallen significantly since 2021.

Most of the deaths this year, 76 per cent, were males, while those between the ages of 30 and 59 account for more than two-thirds of the deaths.

Fluorofentanyl, a more potent form of the opioid fentanyl, was detected in 67 per cent of the deaths, followed by cocaine and fentanyl at 55 per cent.

The ministry statement says smoking is the most common form of consumption at 71 per cent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2026.