B.C. Coroners Service reports five drug-related deaths in September, October in northeast

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C.— Five people have died due to unregulated drug overdose or toxicity in the northeast in September and October. 

In the B.C. Coroners Service’s latest report which was released on December 2nd, September saw three deaths while October saw two deaths in the northeast Health Service Delivery Area (HSDA). 

This number has risen from the previous two months – July and August – where a total of three people died. 

In the HSDA for September and October, 4.2 and 2.8 people per 100,000 respectively died from unregulated drug use. 

Overall, B.C. saw 163 unregulated drug deaths in September and this number fell to 150 deaths in October. 

Currently, for the year 2025, B.C. has seen over 1,538 drug-related deaths. Among all the health authorities recorded in the report, Vancouver Coastal has the most number of deaths with 408 and Fraser with 448 deaths. 

In 2025, over 70 per cent of people who died are under 30 to 59 years old. Seventy-seven per cent of the unregulated drug deaths have been men and 23 per cent have been women. 

Most of the deaths have been seen in occupations like trade, transport, equipment operators and sales and services.

In a report called An Urgent Response to a Continuing Crisis released in 2023, Michael Egilson, chair of a B.C. Coroners Service’s Death Review Panel, said: “We can and must do better to reduce the number of deaths caused by the unregulated drug supply in our province.”