Terrace is ranked first in the North and second in the province up until the end of April 2025 in toxic drug deaths, according to the latest data from the BC Coroners Service.
So far this year, eight people have died in the Terrace Local Health Area (LHA), which translates to a rate of 104.1 per 100,000 population, a measure the provincial coroners service uses to make a fair comparison for jurisdictions of varying sizes.
While four months of statistics could be an anomaly, it does mesh with an overall trend which saw Terrace steadily increase from 18.9 deaths per 100K in 2016 when the opioid crisis was first declared, to 117.3 last year.
The Quesnel and Smithers LHAs had the next highest rates in the Northern Health Region with Quesnel at 75.2 and Smithers at 69. Provincially, only Vancouver Centre North had a higher rate than Terrace at 310.2. Alberni/Clyoquot was fourth in B.C. with 74.1.
In Terrace, the Northern Health Authority has stationed a drug testing device at 101-4450 Greig Ave., the location for its office which provides substance management services. Drugs collected in other northwestern communities are also taken to the location for testing.
The new report from the B.C. Coroner’s Service on unregulated toxic drugs noted that northern B.C. saw the highest rates of toxic drug deaths in the province up until April.
The Northern Health Authority reported 46 deaths per 100,000 population amid an uptick of deaths across the province.
In total, the report indicates 165 people died from unregulated toxic drugs in April 2025, marking a return to more than 160 deaths for a single month after six consecutive months of fewer than 160 deaths.
Within the North, so far in 2025, there have been 15 deaths in Prince George, eight in Terrace, six in Quesnel, six in Peace River North, four in Smithers, two each in Nechako and Peace River South and one in Prince Rupert.
In 2025, deaths among those between the ages of 30 and 59 have accounted for 68 per cent of drug-toxicity deaths in the province, and 77 per cent were male.
Other additional key findings showed that 47 per cent of toxic-drug deaths reported occurred in a private residence, compared with 21 per cent outdoors.
Smoking continues to be the primary mode of consumption of toxic drugs, with 64 per cent of investigations indicating the decedent smoked their substances.
Across the province, the number of drug deaths in April 2025 equates to approximately 5.5 deaths per day.
In 2025, fentanyl was detected in 68 per cent, methamphetamine in 51 percent, and cocaine in 48 per cent of drug deaths that have undergone toxicology testing.
