The toxic drug crisis continues to hit Northern British Columbia harder than anywhere else in the province on a per-capita basis, according to new preliminary data.
While more populated urban centres in the lower mainland see a higher total volume of fatalities, the Northern Health region is tracking the highest rate of unregulated drug deaths in B.C., sitting at 44 deaths per 100,000 people. For comparison, Island Health has the second-highest rate at 37 deaths per 100,000.
The figures show that the crisis is gripping specific pockets of the region especially hard. Both the Northern Interior and the Northeast health service delivery areas are currently tracking among the highest rates in the province for 2026.
This follows a devastating, long-standing trend for the region. Local health area data from 2025 reveals that communities like Terrace have consistently been among the hardest-hit areas experiencing the highest rates of toxic drug deaths across B.C.
Across the province, officials recorded 109 suspected unregulated drug deaths in May, translating to an average of about 3.5 deaths every day.
