Seven people in the Kootenays have lost their lives so far this year to toxic street drugs.
The provincial coroner says all four deaths in the West Kootenay-Boundary were in February, while in the East Kootenay, two people were killed in February and one in March.
The death tolls last year were 36 in the West Kootenay-Boundary and 22 in the East Kootenay.
The coroner’s report didn’t have the monthly break down in the local communities, but did for 2024.
There were 13 in Cranbrook, nine in both Nelson and Trail, eight in Grand Forks, six in Castlegar and three in Creston.
Provincially, there were 132 and 143 suspected unregulated drug deaths in February and March, equating to 4.7 and 4.6 deaths per day.
They said smoking was the most common mode of consumption in 2025 with 62 per cent, ahead of nasal insufflation (11 per cent), injection (11 per cent), and oral (5per cent).
In 2025, fentanyl was detected in 70 per cent of unregulated drug deaths, with methamphetamine in 50 per cent, fluorofentanyl in 47 per cent, cocaine in 46 per cent, bromazolam in 37 per cent, desalkylgidazepam in 34 per cent, and hydromorphone in 3 per cent.
More detailed information can be found on the BC Government website here.
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