Four people in Kamloops are suspected to have died from unregulated drug toxicity in September, bringing the city’s total for 2025 to 42 deaths, according to the latest data from the BC Coroners Service.

The updated figures come as the province recorded at least 158 suspected drug-toxicity deaths in September, averaging more than five deaths per day across British Columbia.

While Kamloops’ total remains below the record 92 deaths reported in 2022 and 90 in 2024, the community continues to face a persistent and deadly public health crisis. The city’s rate of deaths remains among the highest in the Interior Health region.

Provincewide, 69% of people who have died in 2025 were between the ages of 30 and 59, and 78% were male. Fentanyl or its analogues were detected in 84% of cases, followed by cocaine (52%) and methamphetamine (51%). Smoking is the most common mode of consumption, involved in about two-thirds of deaths.

Nearly half of all deaths in B.C. this year occurred in private residences — a pattern mirrored in Kamloops, where people frequently use drugs alone and without access to immediate help.

“The four suspected deaths in September are a sobering reminder that this crisis has not relented,” said a spokesperson for the BC Coroners Service. “Each life lost represents a preventable tragedy, and we must continue to strengthen harm reduction and support services.”

The Coroners Service emphasized that all data remains preliminary and may change as further toxicology results are confirmed.