New report examines lives lost, evolving risks and the need for coordinated action across B.C.’s Fraser Health region
SURREY, B.C. — A decade after British Columbia declared toxic drug poisonings a public health emergency, Fraser Health has released a new report reflecting on the scale of the crisis, the progress made in prevention and treatment, and the significant challenges that remain across the region.
The report, issued by Fraser Health’s Chief Medical Health Officer, outlines how the health authority’s response has evolved since 2016 and examines the social, economic and systemic factors that continue to drive toxic drug poisonings and deaths.
Over the past 10 years, more than 5,600 people in the Fraser Health region have died from toxic drug poisonings. Fraser Health noted that while the region has maintained the lowest toxic drug death rate among B.C.’s health authorities, the human impact of the crisis remains severe and ongoing.
“We are committed to acting on what we’ve learned from data, emerging evidence and from whose who have lived experiences in our communities,” says Dr. Ingrid Tyler, Chief Medical Health Officer. “While we have made some important progress, we must continue strengthening our response.”
Toxic Drug Supply Remains Central Driver of Overdoses
The report, titled Ten years since the declaration of the toxic drug public health emergency, identifies the increasingly dangerous unregulated drug supply as the leading factor behind overdose deaths in the region.
Health officials said substances such as fentanyl, benzodiazepines and medetomidine are becoming more common in illicit drugs. Medetomidine, a veterinary sedative, presents additional risks because it does not respond to naloxone, the medication commonly used to reverse opioid overdoses.
According to Fraser Health, the presence of multiple substances in the illicit supply is making overdoses more difficult to treat and increasing risks even for individuals using small quantities.
Vulnerable Populations Continue to Face Disproportionate Impacts
The report also identifies several groups that continue to experience higher rates of toxic drug poisoning and death. These include men between the ages of 30 and 59, Indigenous people, people of South Asian descent, youth and young adults, people experiencing homelessness, and workers in the trades and transport sectors.
For workers in the trades and transport industries, the report found the risk remains particularly elevated. Among cases where occupation data was available, nearly 30 per cent of toxic drug deaths in the Fraser Health region in 2025 involved people employed in those sectors.
People experiencing homelessness also remain among the populations most at risk. Fraser Health said toxic drug poisoning continues to be the leading cause of death for people without stable housing.
The report stresses that housing stability, combined with health and social support services, plays a critical role in both prevention and recovery efforts.
“A housing-first approach that offers immediate, permanent housing without requiring sobriety or completion of a treatment program, paired with wrap-around supports grounded in harm reduction is key to prevention and recovery,” says Dr. Tyler.
Expansion of Harm Reduction and Treatment Services
Fraser Health said it has significantly expanded services across the full continuum of care over the past decade in response to the emergency.
The report highlights harm reduction programs such as opioid agonist treatment, Take Home Naloxone distribution, supervised consumption and overdose prevention sites, and drug checking services. According to Fraser Health, those initiatives have collectively saved thousands of lives.
Treatment and recovery services have also grown substantially across the region. The health authority cited increased access to Rapid Access to Addiction Care clinics, withdrawal management services, bed-based recovery programs, Adult Day Evening Weekend (DEW) programs, and community-based support services located closer to where people live.
Community-Based and Family Supports Seen as Critical
The report further emphasizes the importance of early intervention and family support programs for children and youth. Fraser Health said stable environments and supportive relationships can help build resilience and reduce the likelihood of substance use later in life.
Health teams across the region are working to strengthen community supports, assist families, and improve access to culturally appropriate care for diverse populations.
Fraser Health also pointed to programs such as Intensive Case Management and Assertive Community Treatment teams as examples of integrated approaches aimed at helping individuals remain housed while addressing complex health and social challenges.
Call for Coordinated Action Across Multiple Sectors
While the report highlights progress made over the past decade, Fraser Health officials said addressing the toxic drug crisis will require sustained collaboration across governments, health-care providers, housing agencies, municipalities and social service organizations.
“Preventing avoidable deaths requires coordinated action across many sectors including health, housing, income supports, child and family services, education, justice and municipalities, supported by policy and sustained investment,” says Dr. Tyler. “This is shared work, and progress depends on all of us.”
Fraser Health serves communities across the Fraser Salish region and provides hospital and community-based care through a workforce of more than 50,000 staff, medical staff and volunteers. The organization also acknowledged that it operates on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations and serves 32 First Nations communities within the region.
The full report is available through Fraser Health’s website.