February 2, 2026
RED FM News Desk
BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) has reported a grim new milestone in the province’s ongoing toxic drug crisis, recording the highest number of drug poisonings in a single day last month. The surge highlights the persistent and evolving danger posed by the unregulated drug supply across British Columbia.
On January 21, paramedics responded to 256 poisoning events in just 24 hours. This figure surpasses the previous single-day record of 222 cases set on November 19, 2025, marking an increase of 34 incidents. The spike serves as a stark reminder of the immense pressure currently facing the province’s frontline emergency responders.
Throughout 2025, BCEHS paramedics attended nearly 40,000 overdose-related calls, averaging approximately 108 poisonings per day. While this total represents a slight two per cent decrease compared to 2024, the severity of individual days remains high. The service noted particularly volatile periods last year, including a six-month stretch where incidents topped 3,000 per month and a three-month period where cases exceeded 4,000 monthly.
According to historical data, 2023 remains the year with the highest overall volume of overdoses, totaling 42,172 cases. Since the B.C. government first declared the toxic drug crisis a public health emergency in 2016, the province has seen a staggering 105 per cent increase in the total number of annual poisoning events.
As the emergency enters its tenth year, emergency services continue to operate under sustained strain. Health officials emphasize that the toxicity of the illicit supply remains the primary driver behind these record-breaking numbers, necessitating ongoing urgent intervention and support for emergency personnel.
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