Unregulated drug deaths continue to take toll across northern B.C.

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In Prince George, the Local Health Area recorded an unregulated drug death rate of 62 deaths per 100,000 population through June 2026. While that is slightly lower than the 63.8 recorded in 2025 and substantially below the peak of 100 deaths per 100,000 reported in 2024, the rate remains well above levels seen prior to the pandemic.

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Unregulated drug deaths continue to take toll across northern B.C.

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Elsewhere in Northern B.C., the Nechako region recorded a rate of 76.3 deaths per 100,000 people so far this year, the highest among the northern communities included in the report. Smithers reported a rate of 46.7, Terrace 53.0 and Peace River North 41.1 deaths per 100,000 residents. Prince Rupert’s rate stood at 14.4 deaths per 100,000 through June, down from 42.2 the previous year.

The figures suggest that while some northern communities have seen improvements compared to recent years, toxic drug deaths remain a persistent public health challenge throughout the region.

The coroner’s report also provides new insight into the increasingly complex drug supply being encountered by investigators. Fluorofentanyl was detected in 67 per cent of deaths where expedited toxicology testing was conducted, making it the most commonly detected substance. Cocaine was found in 55 per cent of cases, fentanyl in 53 per cent and methamphetamine in 52 per cent. Other substances frequently identified included desalkylgidazepam and bromazolam.

Smoking continues to be the most common method of consumption, accounting for 68 per cent of deaths where the mode of use was known. Nasal insufflation, or snorting, accounted for 11 per cent, while injection represented eight per cent.

The BC Coroners Service notes the information remains preliminary and may change as additional toxicology results are received and investigations are completed.

More than nine years after the province first declared a public health emergency over toxic drugs, the latest figures indicate the crisis continues to claim lives in communities throughout Northern B.C., including Prince George, despite some recent improvements in local death rates.