Nine unregulated drug deaths in the Tri-Cities so far this year
Drug deaths have declined substantially in the Tri-Cities compared to previous years, according to a recent report from the B.C. Coroners Service.
There have been nine unregulated drug deaths in the Tri-Cities in the first six months of 2026, a substantial drop from 30 deaths at the same point in 2025.
For the first half of 2026, the death rate in the Tri-Cities was 6.5 per 100,000 residents – the lowest rate of unregulated drug deaths in more than a decade.
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The death rate was 10.6 per 100,000 residents in 2025. The rate was nearly four times higher at this point in 2021, when the death rate in the Tri-Cities was 25.2.
The drop in overdose deaths seems to match the experience of emergency responders.
Coquitlam Fire Rescue and Port Coquitlam Fire and Emergency Services each reported an approximately 40 percent drop in overdose calls in 2025 compared to 2024.
Speaking to Port Coquitlam council in 2025, Deputy Chief Blake Clarkson said they couldn’t explain the sudden drop.
“We can’t take credit for that one, but it is a positive sign that those calls are down,” he said.
In the first six months of 2026, B.C. Coroners Service has reported 14 unregulated drug deaths in Burnaby, seven in New Westminster, and 61 in Surrey. At the same point in 2025, there had been 35 deaths in Burnaby, 34 in New Westminster, and 175 unregulated drug deaths in Surrey.
A total of 776 British Columbians have died due to unregulated deaths so far in 2026. That includes five people who were 18 or younger, 25 British Columbians who were in their 70s, and 202 people in their 40s.
At the same point in 2025, there had been 1,828 unregulated drug deaths.
The concentration of fentanyl appears to have declined. In 2021, coroners found fentanyl in 87 percent of unregulated deaths. So far in 2026, fentanyl has been found in 74 percent of drug deaths.
Fluorofentanyl was found in 67 percent of deaths this year. Cocaine, fentanyl, or methamphetamine were found in more than half of all deaths.
Smoking was the most common method of consumption, found in 68 percent of deaths.
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