First Nations people disproportionately impacted by B.C.’s toxic drug crisis, officials say

The number of First Nations people who died from toxic drugs in British Columbia dropped by about a third in 2025.

But officials say the population continues to be disproportionately impacted by the province’s toxic drug crisis that has killed more than 18,000 people in the last decade.

Dr. Nel Wieman, the chief medical officer with the First Nations Health Authority, said Wednesday that the emergency has been used for political gain by some, putting progress at risk.

The health authority released Indigenous-specific data for 2025 on the day after the province marked 10 years since declaring a public health emergency on April 14, 2016. 

“The politicization of this emergency and the increased vilification of people who use substances threatens progress, especially as the backlash against proven, evidence-based harm reduction measures that save lives hits First Nations people the hardest, deepening existing inequities,” she said.

While progress has been made, there are significant headwinds, Wieman said. 

“These include the inaccessibility of substance-use services in communities closer to home, the lack of long-term sustained and flexible funding, and the ever-changing, dangerous, and potentially lethal unregulated drug supply that is the major driver of deaths and poisonings.”

WATCH | Political rhetoric around crisis decried by provincial health officer:

B.C.’s provincial health officer ‘disturbed’ by political rhetoric amid toxic drug crisis

This week marks 10 years since the toxic drug crisis was first declared a public health emergency in B.C. The health minister held a roundtable discussion to reflect on the thousands of lives lost and challenges that still lie ahead. As the CBC’s Amelia John reports, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry raised concerns about the political rhetoric surrounding the crisis during that discussion.

Numbers released by the health authority show 289 First Nations members died of overdoses in 2025 compared with 433 the year before.

First Nations members in B.C. make up approximately 3.4 per cent of the population, but accounted for 15.8 per cent of all toxic drug deaths in 2025. 

WATCH | How politics got in the way of B.C.’s response to the crisis:

How politics got in the way of B.C.’s toxic drug emergency response

It’s been 10 years since B.C. declared a public health emergency over an alarming number of toxic drug deaths. For The National, CBC’s Yasmine Ghania breaks down how the province responded and why critics say politics got in the way of real change.

Wieman said there is common misinformation that people struggling with substance use simply go to treatment and all of a sudden are able to return home and never face the problem again.

She said users are vilified as part of stoking fear around public safety.

“I really feel that there is a responsibility by our political and other leaders to stop scoring political points off of people who are struggling, and stop vilifying, portraying them, feeding into the stereotypes,” she said.

Programs rolled back

British Columbia has rolled back or eliminated multiple programs that were designed to help with the crisis.

Those included ending a decriminalization pilot project covering small amounts of drugs and curtailing the province’s safer supply program so that consuming the prescription alternatives must be witnessed by a health-care worker.

At the time, the province said the change was aimed reducing the risk of the drugs being diverted to the black market. 

Figures from the B.C. Health Ministry show there were fewer than 3,900 users of the program as of December 2024 and Wieman said “disinformation that people are running around all over the province diverting their pharmaceutical alternatives is a fallacy.”

WATCH | Restrictions on prescribed safer supply program:

Restrictions on safer supply of drugs will ‘drastically decrease’ clients: former PHO

Earlier this week, the B.C. government announced that all patients receiving a safer supply of drugs will be required to have a medical professional present when using drugs in a bid to stop drugs from being diverted to the street. Dr. Perry Kendall, the former B.C. public health officer that declared the toxic drug crisis a public health emergency in 2016, says the witnessed consumption model will drastically decrease the number of drug users willing to participate in the program. He also said he doubts diverted drugs from the province’s program constituted a significant amount of the street supply.

She said a change requiring people who take the safer drugs in front of a witness is a barrier for First Nations people who live remotely.

“Some people have to travel hours to get to a pharmacy. So, to go even once a week is a full-time job that day,” she said.

“Daily witnessed dosing therefore precludes a First Nations person or any other British Columbian who lives in a remote or isolated area from participating in that service if they need it.”

She said the health authority is working on the issue with the help of the province.

“We have strong views around how to have First Nations-led initiatives as part of the toxic drug crisis. But we really do rely on our partners to work with us,” she said.

Following the health authority’s event, the B.C. Coroners Service released figures that show 115 residents died in February due to unregulated drug toxicity, down from 150 in January.

The coroners service says that equates to about 4.1 deaths per day and that 78 per cent of the people who died in February were men.

The statement says stimulants were the most common substance detected in those who overdosed this at 83 per cent, followed by fentanyl or its analogs at 80 per cent.