The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office says 2023 and 2024 were record-breaking years when it came to the number of drug toxicity deaths in Newfoundland and Labrador – with cocaine proving to be the key culprit.
The medical examiner’s office says the total number of drug toxicity deaths in the province is rising, driven primarily by accidental deaths.
The number of toxicity deaths that were undetermined or due to suicide have remained stable.
Seventy-four deaths were attributed to drug toxicity in 2023, only to be surpassed by 83 deaths in 2024, and that figure could climb higher as toxicology reports continue to come in.
Stats from CMEO, March 26 2025
Those numbers jumped in 2023 after ranging annually from 41 to 57 deaths per year between 2018 and 2022.
Deaths where stimulants, including cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA were contributing factors, surpassed the number of opioid-related deaths in 2024.
According to the latest figures provided by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, cocaine contributed to most deaths in the province, and those numbers are on the rise.
Meanwhile, fentanyl-related deaths also increased in 2023 and 2024. The number of cases involving both cocaine and fentanyl rose in 2023 and 2024, although those number are relatively low.
The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office says ethanol is often detected in toxicology reports where more than one drug has been used, and the use of Benzodiazepines or “Benzos” is also being seen more frequently in multi-substance drug toxicity deaths. Those numbers rose from two each in 2021 and 2022 to 15 cases in 2023 and 20 in 2024.
