It’s been 10 years since B.C.’s toxic drug crisis was declared an emergency. What’s been done in that time?

A decade in a public health emergency

It’s been 10 years since the province announced a public health emergency in response to an increase in toxic drug deaths. 

A public health emergency gives the government more power to make changes to regulations and collect data in order to better address a health-related crisis. 

About 474 people died from using toxic drugs in 2015, the year before the emergency was declared. 

In 2025, 1,833 lives were lost to the toxic drug crisis.