Overdose & Drug Poisoning Data

BC Emergency Health Services is consistently monitoring the potential overdose/poisoning call volumes across the province and reporting out on the data.
Overdose call volumes
The yearly total reflects the number of overdose/poisoning calls paramedics have responded to in each community. Here are the top communities within the province, with the number of calls for 2024.

To see the number of calls broken down by year, from 2016 to 2024, see Overdose Response in B.C. Communities (PDF).

  • 100 Mile House: 22
  • Abbotsford: 1,501
  • Agassiz: 43
  • Armstrong: 12
  • Burnaby: 739
  • Burns Lake: 32
  • Campbell River: 952
  • Castlegar: 23
  • Central Saanich: 58
  • Chase: 11
  • Chemainus: 17
  • Chilliwack: 1,052
  • Cobble Hill: 17
  • Coldstream: 8
  • Colwood: 70
  • Comox: 31
  • Coquitlam: 599
  • Courtenay: 634
  • Cranbrook: 237
  • Creston: 26
  • Dawson Creek: 169
  • Delta: 177
  • Duncan: 997
  • Enderby: 18
  • Esquimalt: 76
  • Fort Nelson: 27
  • Fort St James: 49
  • Fort St John: 227
  • Gabriola Island: 31
  • Gibsons: 35
  • Golden: 10
  • Grand Forks: 52
  • Hope: 63
  • Houston: 24
  • Kamloops: 1,226
  • Kamloops IR No 1: 32
  • Kelowna: 2,032
  • Keremeos: 12
  • Kimberley: 17
  • Kitimat: 45
  • Ladysmith: 47
  • Lake Country: 32
  • Lake Cowichan: 26
  • Langford: 210
  • Langley: 871
  • Lantzville: 7
  • Lillooet: 26
  • Mackenzie: 14
  • Maple Ridge: 797
  • Merritt: 78
  • Mission: 383
  • Nanaimo: 1,525
  • Nelson: 261
  • New Westminster: 565
  • North Saanich: 12
  • North Vancouver: 400
  • Oak Bay: 32
  • Oliver: 65
  • Osoyoos: 28
  • Parksville: 126
  • Peachland: 10
  • Penticton: 529
  • Pitt Meadows: 38
  • Port Alberni: 360
  • Port Coquitlam: 253
  • Port Hardy: 99
  • Port Moody: 47
  • Powell River: 140
  • Prince George: 1,758
  • Prince Rupert: 84
  • Princeton: 17
  • Qualicum Beach: 32
  • Quesnel: 150
  • Revelstoke: 15
  • Richmond: 391
  • Saanich: 419
  • Salmon Arm: 173
  • Salt Spring Island: 21
  • Sechelt: 152
  • Shawnigan Lake: 11
  • Sidney: 20
  • Smithers: 95
  • Sooke: 137
  • Squamish: 177
  • Summerland: 28
  • Surrey: 3,335
  • Terrace: 424
  • Thornhill: 18
  • Tofino: 21
  • Trail: 183
  • Vancouver: 9,564
  • Vanderhoof: 25
  • Vernon: 770
  • Victoria: 2,381
  • View Royal: 44
  • West Kelowna: 213
  • West Vancouver: 101
  • Whistler: 49
  • White Rock: 55
  • Williams Lake: 239
  • Other communities: 1,088

Key findings 2024

Key findings in BCEHS 2024 overdose/poisoning call data

(Data are subject to change as they may be updated following reviews)

Since the public health emergency for toxic drugs was declared in 2016, BCEHS has seen a 110% total increase in annual overdose/poisoning events.

In 2024, BCEHS paramedics responded to a total of 40,543 overdose/poisoning patient events for the year, an average of 111 calls a day.

The total number of responses to overdoses/poisonings (40,543) represented a decrease of 4% from the previous year. The average monthly calls are more than 3,300 per month.

BCEHS experienced 10 months with more than 3,000 overdose/poisoning calls in 2024.

Overdose/poisoning calls in B.C.

  • 2024: 40,543 (down 4% from previous year)
  • 2023: 42,172 (up 25% from previous year)
  • 2022: 33,654 (down 5% compared with last year)
  • 2021: 35,585 (up 31% over the previous year)
  • 2020: 27,068 (up 12% over the previous year)
  • 2019: 24,166 (up 2% over the previous year)
  • 2018: 23,662 (up 1% over the previous year)
  • 2017: 23,441 (up 22% over the previous year
  • 2016: 19,275 (up 57% over the previous year)
  • 2015: 12,263
  • 2004-2015: Prior to 2016, overdose/poisoning calls in B.C. fluctuated from 10,000 to 15,000 calls a year.

 

Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions (which together represent about 50% of B.C.’s population) continue to report the highest number of overdose/poisoning calls.

All health authorities had a decrease in overdose/poisoning calls in 2024, with the exception of Fraser Health.

  • Fraser Health overdose/poisoning calls increased (+3%)
  • Interior Health had the largest decrease (-9%)
  • Vancouver Coastal Health had the second-highest decrease (-6%)

Here is the breakdown of overdose/poisoning calls in each health authority:

  • Vancouver Coastal Health: 11,092 (-6%)
  • Fraser Health: 10,585 (+3%)
  • Island Health: 8,630 (-5%)
  • Interior Health: 6,804 (-9%)
  • Northern Health: 3,432 (-2%)
Here is the breakdown across the last seven years:

  • Vancouver Coastal:
    • 2024: 11,092
    • 2023: 11,830
    • 2022: 9,071
    • 2021: 11,204
    • 2020: 9,041
    • 2019: 9,407
    • 2018: 8,686
    • 2017: 8,697
    • 2016: 6,714

  • Fraser Health:
    • 2024: 10,585
    • 2023: 10,254
    • 2022: 9,537
    • 2021: 10,573
    • 2020: 7,272
    • 2019: 6,478
    • 2018: 6,513
    • 2017: 6,554
    • 2016: 5,927

  • Island Health:
    • 2024: 8,630
    • 2023: 9,086
    • 2022: 6,277
    • 2021: 5,917
    • 2020: 4,446
    • 2019: 3,852
    • 2018: 4,102
    • 2017: 3,821
    • 2016: 3,122

  • Interior Health:
    • 2024: 6,804
    • 2023: 7,504
    • 2022: 5,931
    • 2021: 5,417
    • 2020: 4,211
    • 2019: 3,097
    • 2018: 3,129
    • 2017: 3,284
    • 2016: 2,599

  • Northern Health:
    • 2024: 3,432
    • 2023: 3,498
    • 2022: 2,838
    • 2021: 2,414
    • 2020: 2,077
    • 2019: 1,332
    • 2018: 1,232
    • 2017: 1,085
    • 2016: 913

  • British Columbia:
    • 2024: 40,543
    • 2023: 42,172
    • 2022: 33,654
    • 2021: 35,585
    • 2020: 27,067
    • 2019: 24,116
    • 2018: 23,662
    • 2017: 23,441
    • 2016: 19,275

 
BCEHS receives the most calls for overdoses/poisonings from large metro centres: Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria. 

The top 5 communities for overdose/poisoning calls in 2024 are below, with the percentage increase over 2023:

  1. Vancouver: 9,564    (-9.1 %)
  2. Surrey:  3,335     (+6.5%)
  3. Victoria: 2,381     (+5.3%)
  4. Kelowna: 2,032    (-10.6%)
  5. Prince George: 1,758    (-4%) 

 
BCEHS paramedics responded to an average of 111 overdose/poisoning calls per day in B.C. during 2024, down from 116 in 2023.

On June 21, 2023, BCEHS recorded 221 calls for overdose/poisonings. It remains the highest call volume day to date.
 

 
In July 2024, paramedics in B.C. responded to 3,907 overdose/poisoning calls. However, the highest number of overdoses ever recorded in a single month is still July 2023: 3,944 overdose calls.

With the exception of November and December, BCEHS paramedics responded to more than 3,000 overdose/poisoning calls each month in 2024. The average monthly call volume, prior to the pandemic, had been about 2,000 overdose calls a month.

 

Trends
Based on data in 2024 for Card 23 (overdose/poisoning events), the following observations can be made. Note, the data reflects the number of overdose/poisoning calls paramedics have responded to in each health authority and province-wide.

  • In 2024, BCEHS experienced 10 months with more than 3,000 overdose/poisoning calls for the year. 
  • In 2023, BCEHS experienced 11 months with more than 3,000 overdose/poisoning calls for the year. 
  • In 2022, BCEHS experienced two months with more than 3,000 overdose/poisoning calls for the year, including the first single-day total over 200 on Jan. 19, 2022 (203 calls).
  • As of Dec. 31, 2024, in total, there have been 12 days when BCEHS experienced 170 or more calls for Card 23 events – 19 were in 2023.

Historic highest call volume days

On June 21, 2023, BCEHS recorded 221 calls for overdose/poisonings, the highest call volume day so far and the fifth over 200 to date.

Total Card 23 (overdose/poisoning) calls

  1. June 21, 2023: 221
  2. June 23, 2023 210
  3. June 22, 2023: 209 
  4. March 22, 2023: 205
  5. Jan. 19, 2022: 203
Historic average calls/day by month since 2020

  • In the latter 3 months of 2024, the average calls per day fell below 100. This was the first time calls for Card 23 events had fallen below 100 since January 2023. However, a new daily call average high was set in June at 129.1 calls/day.
  • Since January 2020, there has been a steady increase in year over year averages of daily calls by month: 
    • In January 2020, BCEHS averaged 59.3 Card 23 calls per day. By contrast, those totals were much higher in the subsequent four January averages: 
      • January 2021 (76.2)
      • January 2022 (98.2)
      • January 2023 (97.9)
      • January 2024 (108.7)
2024 - Average calls/day by month

  • January: 108.7
  • February: 111.8
  • March: 112.5
  • April: 112
  • May: 116.5
  • June: 129.1
  • July: 126
  • August: 122.8
  • September: 111.4
  • October: 96.8
  • November: 92.1
  • December: 89.5
2023 - Average calls/day by month

  • January: 97.9
  • February: 103.8
  • March: 118.4
  • April: 120.0
  • May: 115.9
  • June: 127.9
  • July: 127.2
  • August: 121.8
  • September: 120.3
  • October: 106.7
  • November: 112.6
  • December: 113.5
2022 - Average calls/day by month

  • January: 98.2
  • February: 97.3
  • March: 96.2
  • April: 99.6
  • May: 98.2
  • June: 94.3
  • July: 90.4
  • August: 89.6
  • September: 88.3
  • October: 84.7
  • November: 85.3
  • December: 84.8
2021 - Average calls/day by month

  • January: 76.2
  • February: 81.9
  • March: 81.8
  • April: 91.9
  • May: 96.0
  • June: 100.6
  • July: 116.3
  • August: 112.6
  • September: 106.9
  • October: 105.0
  • November: 103.5
  • December: 95.8
2020 - Average calls/day by month

  • January: 59.3
  • February: 59.2
  • March: 63.1
  • April: 71.9
  • May: 74.9
  • June: 79.0
  • July: 87.3
  • August: 76.5
  • September: 81.0
  • October: 83.3
  • November: 76.7
  • December: 74.9
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