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By Liam Verster

Toxic Drug Crisis

Vernon lost three lives to overdoses in May and June, more potent drugs seen this year

Jul 31, 2025 | 12:59 PM

The illicit substance death toll continues to be recorded locally and provincially, with carfentanil deaths on the rise.

The B.C. Coroners Service reported two deaths in May and one in June in Vernon. Those brought the year-to-date local death toll up to 15.

Kelowna also saw its death toll rise by 18 over the two months, with 12 deaths in May and six in June, to a total of 54 so far in 2025.

Kamloops’s year-to-date death toll also rose to 30 with 12 deaths during those two months.

The local deaths were part of 145 recorded across B.C. in May and another 147 deaths in June. To date, 915 lives have been lost to illicit toxic substances in B.C.

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Though the fatalities continue to rise, it does not appear that Vernon or B.C. will set new annual death highs. The current record high death tolls were all recorded in 2023, with 57 deaths in Vernon, and 2,588 fatal overdoses across B.C.

Kelowna is at risk of surpassing the previous record high illicit drug death toll of 104 recorded in 2023.

The Coroners Service added fentanyl had been detected in 70 per cent of all deaths so far in 2025, noting carfentanil detection had also increased in 2025 accounting for a total of 53 deaths over the six-month period compared to a total of 51 fatalities in all of 2024.

Additionally, data from the provincial agency showed that 69 per cent of the people who have died due to illicit drugs this year were between the ages of 30 and 59, and that 78 per cent of them were male.

The Coroners Service also noted that 79 per cent of the deaths occurred indoors, with 47 per cent happening in private residences and 32 per cent in other inside locations such as hotels, social and supportive housing, and shelters.