Q1 2025 totals show slower pace of drug deaths in B.C., Kamloops

KAMLOOPS — The province says Kamloops has lost 11 lives to the toxic drug crisis during the first three months of the year — representing a significantly slower pace of fatalities than in recent years.

The latest figures from the BC Coroners Service show 132 and 143 deaths from unregulated drugs in the months of February and March, respectively. That puts B.C. on pace for its lowest year-end total since 2019.

The 11 deaths in Kamloops through the first quarter put Kamloops on pace for about 44 through the end of 2025. That compares to year-end totals of at least 60 for every year since 2020, including a record 93 in 2022.

Province-wide in 2025, the BC Coroners Service says 76 per cent of those who have died due to toxic drugs have been male, while 67 per cent were between the ages of 30 and 59.