By Canadian Press

Drug deaths in B.C. drop 13 per cent, hitting four-year low of 2,253

Feb 4, 2025 | 1:12 PM

VICTORIA — The BC Coroners Service says toxic drug deaths in British Columbia were down 13 per cent last year, with the toll now lower than any year since 2020.

Chief Coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan says the decline is consistent with elsewhere in Canada and internationally, but doesn’t mitigate the fact that 2,253 people died of overdoses in B.C. last year, or the grief felt by their loved ones.

A report issued by the service says about 70 per cent of those who died were between the ages of 30 and 59, and nearly three-quarters were male.

Baidwan says the data shows a decline in fatalities over the last several months of 2024.

Fentanyl continues to be the main driver of drug deaths in B.C., with the opioid detected in 78 per cent of expedited testing last year.

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B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne says although there has been a decrease in deaths, this in no way “diminishes grief that permeates our communities.”

More than 16,047 people in B.C. have lost their lives to unregulated drugs since a public health emergency was declared in 2016.

Other Canadian provinces have also reported declines in drug deaths, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says reported drug deaths were down 22 per cent in the United States in the year ending in August 2024.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2025.

The Canadian Press