Public warning issued for B.C. city after 11 suspected drug deaths in five weeks

A view of Campbell River, B.C. (Shutterstock)

Police in Campbell River, B.C., are issuing a public warning after at least 11 people have died from suspected drug overdoses in the last five weeks.

Mounties say they are deeply concerned about the sudden rise in deaths in the Vancouver Island community, but did not say what drugs are to blame.

They say they issued the warning to alert drug users and their loved ones to take extra precautions, noting that the priority in issuing the warning is to “prevent further loss of life.”

Police are also asking community members to spread the word, as authorities do not want the spike in suspected overdose deaths to continue.

The warning comes nearly two weeks after Island Health issued a so-called “Drug Poisoning Overdose Advisory” for the city, which said “drug poisonings are increasing in Campbell River” and provided instructions for how to report an overdose and how to access harm reduction services.

North Island Medical Health Officer Dr. Charmaine Enns says in a statement that the recent deaths mentioned by the Mounties are a continuation of what has been happening “for nearly a decade due to the unregulated drug toxicity crisis.”

“We know for a fact that the unregulated and poisoned drug supply continues to contribute to the loss of life and poses a risk to anyone using it,” she said in the statement.

“That is why it is so important that people do not use alone, get their substances tested and use overdose prevention and harm reduction services whenever possible.”

The city’s overdose prevention site, operated by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society through funding from Island Health, is located at 1330 Dogwood St in Campbell River.

RELATED STORIES:

• Late August spike in drug overdoses in much of B.C.
• From shame and secrecy to Suboxone: B.C. drug users credit harm reduction for recoveries
• First Nations Health Authority backs harm reduction on B.C. overdose anniversary

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2025.