British Columbia has seen an uptick in overdose deaths following months of year-over-year decline.The trend reversal has prompted many to call on the provincial government to take action..According to the BC Coroners Service, drugs claimed the lives of 165 people in April, 143 in March and 132 in February. The latter two figures represent a 30% reduction over the year before.Data showed that in 2025, overdose deaths were highest in Vancouver-Centre North, Terrace, Quesnel, Alberni/Clayoquot, and Smithers. The vast majority, 78%, occurred indoors — 47% in private residences and 32% in social and supportive housing, SROs, shelters, and hotels — while the remaining 21% took place on sidewalks, in parks, and in vehicles..Of those who passed away as a result of drug use, 77% were men, and 68% were between the ages of 30 and 59.A report found that smoking was the most common method of consumption, with 64% of deceased users showing evidence of smoking. Nasal insufflation was the next most popular, at 11%, followed by injection, 11%, and oral, 6%.Fentanyl was detected in 68% of the deceased, cocaine in 51%, flourofentanyl in 47%, and hydromorphone in 3%. The presence of fentanyl has skyrocketed in the past decade; in 2015, the lethal substance was only detected in 29% of victims. That jumped to 67% in 2016 before hovering around 80% for the following eight years..Overdoses are by far the most common cause of death in BC..While homicides, motor vehicle incidents, and suicides have remained relatively steady since 2014, drug-related deaths have trended upwards.."Overdose deaths climbed in April with 165 people losing their lives, the highest since September," BC Conservative MLA and Public Safety Critic Elenore Sturko wrote in a post on X. "Rampant drug use in housing, invisible prevention programs, increased drug production, inaccessible treatment, the normalization of drug use, and an NDP government that rewards the suppliers of fentanyl precursors with lucrative contracts."She argued that, "to save lives & end the drug crisis, we need systemic change, and we need a provincial fentanyl strategy."
