The ongoing illegal drug overdose crisis in B.C. continues but the pace of such deaths appears to be slowing.听
From January through March, there were 25 illegal drug overdose fatalities in Kelowna, nine in Vernon, and three in Penticton, according to new information from the BC Coroners Service.
Across B.C., there were 428 such fatalities.
During the same three-month period there were 637 such deaths last year and 642 deaths in 2023.
鈥淢arch marks the six consecutive month in which the number of deaths reported to the BC Coroners Service attributed to unregulated drug toxicity was below 160,鈥 per a release.听
More than three-quarters of those who died from an illegal drug overdose were found to have fentanyl in their system.
Deaths due to illegal drug overdoses peaked at 2,583 in 2023 and then declined to 2,278 last year.听
While the highest numbers of illegal drug overdose deaths during Q1 of 2025 were in Vancouver, Surrey and Greater Victoria, the interior Health region has the highest rate of such deaths, at 35 per 100,000 of population.听
In addition to the 37 deaths in the Valley鈥檚 three largest cities, there were 12 such fatalities in other parts of the Okanagan and 29 elsewhere in the region served by IH.听
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