Local, provincial overdose deaths declined in 2025

Feb 20, 2026 | 11:01 AM

Vernon saw drug deaths decline significantly last year.

The B.C. Coroners Service said there were 28 lives lost to illicit, toxic drugs locally in 2025.

That figure was down from the 44 deaths the year before, and down from the record-high 56 deaths in 2023.

Kelowna also saw drug-associated deaths decline, though not at a similar rate. The Coroners Service said there were 86 fatal overdoses in the Central Okanagan city in 2025, down from 90 in 2024 and from the all-time-high 104 in 2023.

The local deaths were part of the 1,826 lives lost across B.C. due to unregulated toxic drugs in 2025.

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“While still representing a profound loss of life, this reflects an approximate 21 per cent decrease from 2024 (2,315), and the first time since 2020 that deaths due to unregulated drug toxicity have totaled fewer than 2,000 people within a year,” the B.C. Coroners Service said in a news release.

“There were 136 and 141 suspected unregulated drug deaths in November and December 2025, respectively. The number of unregulated drug deaths in November and December equates to about 4.5 deaths per day.”

The Coroners Service noted that people between the ages of 30 and 59 accounted for 69 per cent of the deaths in 2025, adding 77 per cent were male.

It also stated that 48 per cent of deaths occurred within a private residence, while 30 per cent occurred within other inside residences including social and supportive housing, hotels, and shelters, while 20 per cent occurred outside.

Fentanyl was also detected in 69 per cent of the deaths across the province in 2025.

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by Liam Verster

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