The Addiction Crisis in Nanaimo

Nanaimo, BC experienced a meaningful decline in toxic drug deaths in 2024 and into 2025, though the crisis remains severe. The BC Coroners Service recorded 94 unregulated drug deaths in greater Nanaimo in 2024, down from a record 114 in 2023 — a 17.5% decrease and the first decline since 2019. Emergency response volumes also fell sharply: BC Emergency Health Services calls dropped 29% (from 2,136 to 1,525) and Nanaimo Fire Rescue overdose calls fell 37% (from 1,827 to 1,150). Emergency department visits for substance misuse at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital dropped from a 2023 high of 1,352 to 977 in 2024. The early months of 2025 continued the downward trend, with just 2 Nanaimo deaths recorded in January 2025 compared to an average of 8–10 per month during peak years. Despite the improvements, deaths remain at the second-highest levels since tracking began in 2014. Fentanyl and its analogues are present in the vast majority of cases. In April 2026, nine more Nanaimo residents died from toxic street drugs, confirming the crisis persists. A new Wellness Centre addition to the existing Overdose Prevention Site at 250 Albert St. was under construction and expected to open by late spring 2026. Nanaimo City Council voted down a motion in December 2025 that would have sent a letter criticizing provincial drug policy, with councillors citing the importance of harm reduction interventions.

Canada recorded approximately 7,560 apparent opioid toxicity deaths in 2023 (PHAC), making it one of the deadliest years on record nationally. British Columbia alone accounted for roughly one third of that toll with 2,511 deaths. In 2024, national opioid deaths fell approximately 17%, with around 6,300 deaths — still averaging roughly 17 people per day across the country. BC, Alberta, and Ontario together account for about 80% of all Canadian opioid deaths. The federal government has continued to fund harm reduction, treatment, and naloxone distribution through its Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP), while provinces have taken varied approaches ranging from harm reduction to enforced treatment models.

01. What is happening in Nanaimo

02. A crisis that did not start this month

British Columbia set a grim record in 2023 with 2,511 toxic drug deaths — the highest annual toll ever recorded in the province. This represented approximately one third of all apparent opioid toxicity deaths across Canada that year. In 2024, BC deaths fell 13% to approximately 2,253, hitting a four-year low, though the province remained one of three (alongside Alberta and Ontario) accounting for roughly 80% of Canadian opioid deaths. Fentanyl was detected in 78% of expedited testing in 2024. Preliminary 2025 data show approximately 1,826 deaths province-wide — a further 21% decline and the first year since 2020 with fewer than 2,000 deaths. Across British Columbia, over 18,000 lives have been lost in the decade since the province declared a public health emergency in 2016. The province announced 26 new addiction treatment beds in January 2025, including 6 in Nanaimo. BC's HelpStartsHere platform and the Alcohol and Drug Information and Referral Service (1-800-663-1441) provide province-wide access to support.

03. Why is it getting worse?

Fentanyl and its analogues remain the dominant driver of toxic drug deaths in Nanaimo and across BC, detected in approximately 77–85% of cases. The unregulated drug supply is highly toxic and unpredictable, with carfentanil and other potent analogues intermittently detected. Social isolation, housing instability, and poverty are documented risk factors in the local population. Indigenous community members face disproportionate harm. Rural geography and limited access to treatment beds have historically slowed access to care, though provincial investment in new beds (including 6 in Nanaimo announced January 2025) is improving this. Stigma continues to be a barrier to seeking help. The debate over harm reduction approaches — illustrated by the 2025 Nanaimo council debates over the Overdose Prevention Site — reflects ongoing community tension between treatment-focused and harm reduction approaches to the crisis.

04. Where hope still lives

Communities across British Columbia are responding with naloxone distribution, harm reduction programs, and peer support networks. Every person trained in naloxone use is a potential life saved.

05. In the news

The reporting behind this page:

• Nanaimo's unregulated drug deaths drop for first time in five yearsNanaimo News Bulletin · 2025
• Nanaimo's toxic drug deaths drop sharply to start 2025NanaimoNewsNOW · 2025-03-14
• Toxic street drugs claim nine more lives in NanaimoNanaimoNewsNOW · 2026-04-16
• Drug deaths in B.C. dropped 13 per cent in 2024, hitting four-year lowVictoria Times Colonist · 2025
• Province announces 26 new treatment beds, including six in NanaimoHa-Shilth-Sa Newspaper · 2025-01-21
• Motion to close Nanaimo's Overdose Prevention Site withdrawnThe Discourse · 2025