October 9,2025
RED FM News Desk
Preliminary data from the BC Coroners Service shows that 153 people died in July and 149 in August 2025 due to unregulated drug toxicity.
So far in 2025, individuals aged 30 to 59 have accounted for 69% of all drug-toxicity deaths, with men making up 78% of the total.
By health region, the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health authorities recorded the highest numbers of unregulated drug deaths—352 and 321 deaths, respectively—representing 55% of all fatalities this year.
Fentanyl and its analogues remain the substances most frequently detected in expedited toxicology tests. Among those tested in 2025, 70% had fentanyl, followed by 52% with cocaine and 52% with methamphetamine in their systems. Evidence of smoking was found in 64% of deaths, making it the most common method of drug use this year.
The Coroners Service cautions that these findings are preliminary and may change as further toxicology results come in and investigations are completed.
Additional 2025 highlights:
Youth deaths (aged 19 and under) from suspected drug toxicity between January and August rose from 15 in 2024 to 21 in 2025, a level consistent with previous years (20 in 2021, 25 in 2022, and 21 in 2023).
Average daily deaths were 4.9 in July and 4.8 in August.
The cities with the highest number of deaths are Vancouver, Surrey, and Greater Victoria.
The highest death rate was reported in Northern Health at 46 per 100,000 people.
48% of deaths occurred in private residences, while 21% happened outdoors.
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