Deaths related to substance use in Newfoundland and Labrador are down substantially compared with the peaks seen over the last several years.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has provided VOCM News with data going back to 2018.
Total substance-related fatalities from 2018-2026 (Office of the Chief Medical Examiner)
It shows that between 2018 and 2022 the total number of substance-related toxicity deaths per year ranged from 44 to 57.
The numbers started to spike in 2023 with 77 deaths, and peaked in 2024 with 92 lives lost.
Last year the number of deaths dropped to 80. So far this year, 25 people have died.
Substance-related deaths involving cocaine, fentanyl and/or alcohol since 2018 (Office of the Chief Medical Examiner)
In each year since 2018, the majority of deaths have been classified as accidents, while some have either been ruled as suicide or undetermined.
With the exception of 2018, men have accounted for more than half of the substance-related deaths in the province each year.
Substance-related deaths by sex from 2018-2026 (Office of the Chief Medical Examiner)
The information for 2025 and 2026 is classified as “open year data” as investigations are still ongoing.
