April sees uptick in B.C. overdose deaths with 165 fatalities: coroners service

British Columbia's coroners service says a rebound in overdoses in April saw a return to more than 160 deaths a month due to toxic drugs. 

The April death toll follows last month's update that confirmed March as the sixth consecutive month during which fewer than 160 people died.

The BC Coroners Service says in a statement that 165 people died in April, up from 143 deaths in March and 132 fatalities in February.

The February and March numbers represented year-over-year declines of more than 30 per cent compared with the same months in 2024.

The statement released Tuesday says deaths in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health authorities make up 57 per cent of fatalities so far this year.

It says the opioid fentanyl continues to be the most common substance linked to deaths and smoking is the primary mode of consumption of unregulated toxic drugs.

While Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health authorities have the larger number of deaths, the Northern and Interior health regions have seen the highest per-capita rates of death so far in 2025.

The BC Green caucus issued a statement Tuesday noting that a growing number of drug deaths occurred outdoors, 21 per cent so far this year, compared with 15 per cent in 2022. 

“This report underscores the widening gaps in care, housing, and access to life-saving services,” said interim Green Leader Jeremy Valeriote in the statement. "The ongoing loss of life is not inevitable — it's a consequence of political choices." 

Picture Courtesy:THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns