The Addiction Crisis in Surrey

Surrey, BC is one of the hardest-hit cities in British Columbia's toxic drug crisis. Between January 2020 and December 2025, Surrey Memorial Hospital recorded 2,066 non-fatal overdoses among its patients, with four patient deaths from illicit drug use during that period. Surrey is consistently listed alongside Vancouver and Greater Victoria as one of the communities with the highest number of toxic drug deaths in the province. An episodic overdose prevention service team was established at Surrey Memorial in 2023, and a Safepoint Supervised Consumption Site operates in the city at 13459 107A Avenue. In January 2026, the Surrey Union of Drug Users criticized the BC government's decision to end the decriminalization pilot, warning it would further isolate people who use drugs and increase the risk of poisoning deaths.

Canada recorded approximately 7,560 apparent opioid toxicity deaths in 2023 according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, making British Columbia — with 2,511 deaths that year — responsible for roughly one-third of all Canadian opioid fatalities despite representing only about 13% of the national population. BC has consistently had the highest per-capita opioid death rate of any province. The national trend mirrors BC's: opioid deaths fell roughly 17% in 2024, though an estimated 20 Canadians were still dying per day. Fentanyl and its analogues dominate the illicit supply nationally, and the co-contamination of stimulants and benzodiazepines has made the toxic drug supply increasingly unpredictable.

01. What is happening in Surrey

02. A crisis that did not start this month

British Columbia declared the toxic drug crisis a public health emergency on April 14, 2016. In the decade since, more than 18,179 British Columbians have been killed by unregulated drugs — nearly five people per day on average. The province set a grim record in 2023 with 2,511 toxic drug deaths, the highest annual toll ever recorded. 2024 saw a 13% decline to approximately 2,253 deaths, the lowest since 2020. However, the crisis continues into 2026: 150 deaths were reported in January 2026 (4.8 per day), and 119 deaths were confirmed in April 2026. Fentanyl was detected in 78–85% of toxic drug death investigations. Nearly 80% of deaths are male, and the 30–59 age group is most heavily affected. The province ended its decriminalization pilot in early 2026, drawing sharp criticism from harm reduction advocates. BC has over 2,300 naloxone distribution points province-wide.

03. Why is it getting worse?

The primary driver of toxic drug deaths in Surrey and across BC is fentanyl contamination of the unregulated street drug supply, detected in 78–85% of deaths. Benzodiazepines (40%) and methamphetamines (47%) frequently appear alongside fentanyl, creating unpredictable polysubstance toxicity. Structural drivers include poverty, homelessness, and housing insecurity concentrated in parts of Surrey; limited access to safe supply; and the January 2026 end of BC's decriminalization pilot, which advocates warn will push drug use further underground. Social isolation, mental health co-morbidities, and lack of culturally safe services for Indigenous and immigrant communities compound the crisis. Surrey's rapid population growth has outpaced the expansion of addiction and mental health infrastructure.

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:

• Hundreds of Surrey Memorial Patients Are Overdosing Every YearThe Tyee · 2026-05-01
• Surrey Union of Drug Users slams BC government's decision to end decriminalizationSurrey Now-Leader · 2026-01-16
• BC's Toxic Drug Crisis Hits a Grim 10-Year AnniversaryThe Tyee · 2026-04-14
• Another 150 lives lost to toxic drugs in BC in January 2026BC Government News · 2026-02-28
• B.C. sets grim record with 2,511 toxic drug deaths in 2023CBC News · 2024-01-18
• Drug deaths in BC dropped 13% in 2024, hitting four-year lowVictoria Times Colonist · 2025-02-01