Photo: Contributed

Unregulated drug deaths in the Kootenay Boundary dropped for the entire year last year as the province’s Coroners Service recently released its data for the entire 2024 year.

Overall, by health service delivery area (HSDA) of injury (death), 36 people died from unregulated drugs for the entire calendar year of 2024, compared to 41 in the same time in 2023.

Digging a little deeper into the data, by local health authority within the Kootenay Boundary, Nelson dropped to nine deaths in 2024 (down from 16 in 2023), Trail was also nine in 2024 (down from 11 in 2023), while Castlegar rose to six in 2024 from four the year before.

Kootenay Lake was zero in 2024, down from one in 2023, while Grand Forks rose to eight in 2024 from six in 2023 and Creston was three in 2024, up from one in 2023.

Arrow Lakes was one in 2024, while Kettle Valley was two in that same year, both the same as in 2023.

Photo: Contributed

According to place of injury (death), the locale held steady in 2024 — and so far in 2025 compared to last year for provincial data — with 46.1 per cent of people dying in a private residence (2025), compared to 47.6 per cent in 2024. This included driveways, garages, trailer homes and either decedent’s own or another’s residence.

Other residence deaths was 29.6 per cent in 2025, with 28.4 per cent in 2024 and included hotels, motels, rooming houses, single room occupancy, shelters and social and supportive housing.

People dying outside was 17.8 per cent in 2025, with 18.6 per cent in 2024. It included vehicles, streets, sidewalks, parking lots, public parks, wooded areas and campgrounds.

The Coroners Service noted that the unregulated drug deaths by drug type (relevant to death) number one killer was fentanyl and its analogues, found in 84.6 per cent of the cases, while methamphetamine and amphetamine was found in 50.3 per cent of deaths. Benzodiazepines were found in 46.4 per cent of the cases, while cocaine was in 44.5 per cent of deaths.

The drug type data was only available for completed unregulated drug toxicity death investigations, with the drugs involved noted by the coroner as being relevant to the death. Data does not include when a substance was taken.

Photo: Contributed

According to preliminary data from the Coroners Service, the deaths of 152 people in B.C. were reported in January 2025 due to unregulated drug toxicity. Deaths among those between the age of 40 and 59 accounted for 50 per cent of drug-toxicity deaths in the province, while three deaths were reported among children and youth under the age of 18.

From December 2024 to January 2025, deaths among males in B.C. climbed from approximately 73 per cent (109) of deaths to 79 per cent (120). In the same period, the deaths of 40 females were reported in December, compared with 32 in January.

Though January marks the fourth consecutive month in which the number of deaths reported to the BC Coroners Service attributed to unregulated drug toxicity was below 160, certain areas of the province saw an increase. That includes communities within Fraser Health (57) and Interior Health (21).