Northern Health reports highest HA toxic drug deaths per 100K

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Lab equipment and fentanyl is pictured in evidence bags during an RCMP news conference on April 10th, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns) — Lab equipment and fentanyl is pictured in evidence bags. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns)

VICTORIA, B.C. — Northern Health is continuing to suffer the highest B.C. health authority toxic drugs death rate per 100,000 people, a report has revealed.

The BC Coroners Service report shows Northern Health has recorded 44 deaths due to toxic drugs per 100,000 people in 2025, compared to 35 per 100,000 for Vancouver Coastal Health and Island Health, 39 in Interior Health and 24 for Fraser Health.

This continues a trend – Northern Health has recorded the highest health authority toxic drug deaths per 100,000 people every year since 2019.

The province’s rate for all B.C.’s health authorities combined is 32 per 100,000 toxic drug deaths in 2025.

However, the report does show the number of B.C. deaths due to toxic drugs fell to below 150 people per month for May and June, a downward trend from the same months last year.

The province recorded 145 deaths in May compared with 181 for the same month last year, and there were 147 overdose deaths in June, down from 185 the year before.

The BC Coroners Service and government have also started releasing the occupation of those who died, and the two most common jobs are trades, transport and equipment operation, as well as sales and service.

The statement says 69 per cent of the drug-toxicity deaths are adult men between the ages of 30 and 59, while 78 per cent of all deaths are male.

The statistics show the opioid fentanyl is the most common substance detected in those who died due to toxic drugs this year, followed by methamphetamine and cocaine.

“Forty-seven per cent of deaths reported occurred in a private residence, compared with 21 per cent outdoors,” the statement says.

Smoking continues to be the primary mode of consumption of unregulated toxic drugs, with 64 per cent of investigations indicating the person who died smoked their substances, the statement says.

View the full report here.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31st, 2025.

The Canadian Press