NANAIMO — Toxic drug deaths in B.C. in July and August have fallen to their lowest levels in those months since before the pandemic.
Data from the BC Coroners Service shows that 113 people died in July, and 126 people in August, with those figures down 50 per cent and 40 per cent from their respective peaks in 2023.
In Nanaimo, 19 people lost their lives to toxic street drugs during that time, for 52 total deaths in total this year.
Across Vancouver Island, 40 people died during the summer months.
This time last year, 48 deaths from street drugs occurred in Nanaimo.
In 2019, 27 deaths were recorded in Nanaimo, peaking at 115 in 2023, before reducing to 94 in 2024 and 71 in 2025.
Province-wide, deaths from January to August this year reached 1,015, down 41 per cent from the same period in 2023 when deaths peaked across the province, and down 18 per cent from last year.
The data shows there were 3.6 unregulated drug deaths per day in July and 4.1 in August, hitting their lowest levels since 2019.
Those dying continued to be overwhelmingly male (76 per cent), with 69 per cent between the ages of 30 and 59.
Fluorofentanyl has become the most common substance detected in expedited toxicological testing, discovered in 68 per cent of unregulated drug deaths.
Cocaine (56 per cent) is the second most-detected substance, followed by methamphetamine (53 per cent), fentanyl (50 per cent) and desalkylgidazepam (21 per cent).
It shows the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health authorities each suffered 68 deaths in July and August combined, the highest number in B.C.
Toxic drug deaths in B.C. have been in steep decline since peaking at 2,591 in 2023, mirroring a phenomenon being experienced across much of North America.
So far this year, 1,015 people have died across B.C. from toxic street drugs.
— With files from the Canadian Press.
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