Statistics show a decline in unregulated drug deaths for 2025, but the toll remains high

The BC Coroners Service released their report for unregulated drug deaths in our province throughout 2025 showing a decline in lost lives, however the toll remains high.

The report which was recently released states that the number for unregulated drug-toxicity deaths for 2025 was 1,826, which is roughly 21 percent lower than the previous year, 2024, which saw 2,315 fatalities.

During the last two months of 2025 the province lost roughly 4.5 lives a day according to their statistics, with 136 lives lost in November and 141 lost to suspected unregulated drugs.

Individuals aged 30 – 59 accounted for 69 percent of the lives lost to unregulated drugs, with more than 75 percent of them being males. The BC Coroners Office said that 48 percent of reported deaths had occurred in private residences, while close to 20 percent took place outdoors.

Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health Authorities reported the highest number of unregulated drug deaths as the year closed according to the release, as 533 lives were lost in November and 484 more in December.

Toxicology reports from 2025 show fentanyl and its analogues remain the leading substances found in overdose deaths, appearing in around 70% of cases tested according to the BC Coroners Service.

Methamphetamine and cocaine were also common, detected in just over half of the expedited results and health officials note that carfentanil has been showing up more often in recent months.

Although these statistics presented by the BC Coroners Office make it appear as if the problem is improving, we are a long way from the end of this emergency and need to continue pushing forward.