Toxic drugs claimed seven more lives in the Kootenay-Boundary in February.
According to the BC Coroners Service, there were five deaths in the West Kootenay-Boundary and two in the East Kootenay. The same number of people died in the West Kootenay-Boundary in January, for a year-to-date total of 10. There were three deaths in East Kootenay in January, bringing the total so far in 2026 to five.
The deaths were among 115 reported province-wide in February.
The coroners service also said that so far in 2026, 81 per cent of unregulated drug deaths occurred indoors and 18 per cent outdoors. The Fraser and Vancouver Coastal Health authorities made up more than half of the deaths in the first two months of this year.
