**US:** CDC official death records, opioid deaths only, full year 2024. Rates = deaths divided by state population, per 100,000 people. Florida’s breakdown wasn’t published at the state level so it’s missing from the map, but it’s included in the US national average.
**One caveat:** Yukon and NWT look alarming on the map but those numbers are based on 14 and 7 deaths respectively. One bad month can swing a small territory’s rate significantly — take those with a grain of salt.
**Why the rates are comparable:** Both countries are measuring the same thing (opioid overdose deaths) divided by population. Not perfect — Canada and the US count deaths slightly differently — but close enough that a gap of 5+ points is real, not a methodology quirk.
What the hell, British Columbia??? I’d blame you for Washington’s numbers, but really we should be lining the Sackler family in pillories and marching them back and forth from Seattle to Vancouver until their feet wear through the soles of their shoes.Â
Haunting-Detail2025 on
It’s crazy to see that BC’s overdose rate is higher than WV’s, and not by a particularly small margin either
GaiaGwenGrey on
Wow as a Philly resident I’m surprised to see PA isn’t higher. Guess it’s more of a local Kensington issue?
Few_Fact4747 on
I just looked it up. There are 4,7 million opioid users in canada. There is around 5000 deaths per year. Thats 0.1% of opiod users dieing. Are opioids really that dangerous or are we just being fed war on drugs propaganda?
Behemothheek on
As a Vancouver paramedic I can say it really do be like that
elegant-jr on
BCs experiment with legalization was a disaster.Â
knowitallz on
Eventually addicts die and new addicts don’t come on line fast enough to replace them and die. That’s why this happens.
Wheredoesthetoastgo2 on
Was in Vancouver about 2 years ago. It was a very pitiful sight. Hope it’ll be the city i remember one day.
Silver-Net2220 on
What are the factors that make BC a hot spot, but not California? Alberta, but not Montana?
Philly514 on
To be fair I’m not sure I trust US official reporting on anything right now.
11 Comments
**Sources & method**
**US:** CDC official death records, opioid deaths only, full year 2024. Rates = deaths divided by state population, per 100,000 people. Florida’s breakdown wasn’t published at the state level so it’s missing from the map, but it’s included in the US national average.
**Canada:** Health Canada’s official opioid death tracking, full year 2024. Same math — deaths per 100,000 people per province. https://health-infobase.canada.ca/substance-related-harms/opioids-stimulants/#a4
**One caveat:** Yukon and NWT look alarming on the map but those numbers are based on 14 and 7 deaths respectively. One bad month can swing a small territory’s rate significantly — take those with a grain of salt.
**Why the rates are comparable:** Both countries are measuring the same thing (opioid overdose deaths) divided by population. Not perfect — Canada and the US count deaths slightly differently — but close enough that a gap of 5+ points is real, not a methodology quirk.
—
I post Canadian open data charts at r/OpenDataCanada: https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenDataCanada/
What the hell, British Columbia??? I’d blame you for Washington’s numbers, but really we should be lining the Sackler family in pillories and marching them back and forth from Seattle to Vancouver until their feet wear through the soles of their shoes.Â
It’s crazy to see that BC’s overdose rate is higher than WV’s, and not by a particularly small margin either
Wow as a Philly resident I’m surprised to see PA isn’t higher. Guess it’s more of a local Kensington issue?
I just looked it up. There are 4,7 million opioid users in canada. There is around 5000 deaths per year. Thats 0.1% of opiod users dieing. Are opioids really that dangerous or are we just being fed war on drugs propaganda?
As a Vancouver paramedic I can say it really do be like that
BCs experiment with legalization was a disaster.Â
Eventually addicts die and new addicts don’t come on line fast enough to replace them and die. That’s why this happens.
Was in Vancouver about 2 years ago. It was a very pitiful sight. Hope it’ll be the city i remember one day.
What are the factors that make BC a hot spot, but not California? Alberta, but not Montana?
To be fair I’m not sure I trust US official reporting on anything right now.